"Mankind is in the habit of creating its own monsters, and fortunately, once in a while, it also gets the chance to destroy them." "A case in point, this Trident II ICBM missile." "The Pentagon contracted with the Phoenix Foundation to come up with a plan for permanent dismantlement and disposal of nuclear weapons." "Watch the cradle." "This Trident II ICBM was the first of many more to come." "It was up to us to make it harmless." "No small task." "But we've been given a lot of training to do it safely and to do it right." "I considered my small part in the operation as a hands-on chance to do something for peace." "All right, we're lined up." "Pushing in." "All right, that's it." "Nice and easy." "We've got all day." "Wait, wait, hold it!" " Easy, easy." " All right." "Move it in a little bit." "Secure!" "Warhead number T-47 exposed." "Missile Titan II secure." "All right, people, this is what we've been training for over the last three months." "The eyes of the Disarmament Commission are on us today, so look sharp." "Warhead disarmament team into position." "MacGyver, Reese." "All right, Reese, come on." "Power cable." "Okay, here we go." "Gentlemen, you've asked the Phoenix Foundation to work out a fail-safe procedure for disarmament and disposal." "We've done it." "We're starting to apply it to some of the older missiles." "Not that that matters." "Disengagement and uranium 235 are deadly, in any make or model." "Okay." "We're connected." " We got juice?" " Power on." "Initiator online." "Sequencing." "We're in." "Our man MacGyver is now going in for the bomb's critical assembly." "It's like reaching down the barrel of a gun to get at the bullet." "Then he has to separate the bullet from the primer cap." "It's no easy task." "Don't fumble here." "This charge has got enough to bring the whole place down." " You got the igniter?" " I got it." "Detonation assembly removed." "Warhead T-47 is disarmed." "All right, clear for disposal team." "Commence transfer." "The disposal of the ignition assembly is the most dangerous part." "Once it's secured, we'll take it to an underground bunker where it'll be detonated." "Warhead secured." "What's our radiation level?" ".01 1 8 millirems per hour." "We're clean." "MacGyver, you have the honours." "Yep." "The next phase is defuelling the missile itself, for which we require a Delta T weather condition." "You'll be notified as soon as we have one." "Thank you." " Thank you, sir." " That was outstanding." "That's one down." "Ed, the team on this has been great." "That's excellent, Peter." "You know, after spending our youth helping the DSX wage a Cold War, isn't it nice to be older, wiser and part of the peace process?" "Yes, it is." "For me, that's what the Phoenix Foundation is all about." "I've got a project I want to talk to you about." "It's along the same lines, and you're gonna love it." "When can we talk?" "Peter, you've been burning the candle at both ends." "Delegate more." "At least on the missile defuelling phase." "No, Ed, I can't do that." "The defuelling process is the most critical part of the whole disarming procedure." "I'm the one who laid down the field operations schedule." "It's my baby." "I'm responsible." "Careful, Peter." "Burnout is not a job requirement." "I just want you to look after yourself." "Ed, who beat who at the golf tournament last weekend by five strokes?" "Don't remind me." "Gentlemen." "Kennan, do you want to pass out the reports?" "Thank you." "Now, first on today's agenda..." "As you all know, the Phoenix Foundation has been playing an important role between our government and that of the Republic of Sambaka over the last two years." "And I'm happy to report that we have been able to persuade their president, Yaman Amunde, to make an historic, first-time visit to America." "Perhaps congratulations are in order, but can anyone here explain to me exactly why President Amunde would want to rub shoulders with us "decadent, mongrel dogs"?" "I think he wants to open a dialogue." "Maybe even take a first step towards reconciliation." "No offence, Pete." "Look, I know what we're trying to do here." "But Amunde and his thug cabinet have just been picking our pockets for technical support." "The whole time he continues to head up a worldwide terrorist campaign." "Anti-American rhetoric and posturing is not legitimate proof of terrorism, Mr Webber." "Still and all, sir, it just leaves me to wonder whether we don't have better things to do than to mediate with radicals who show absolutely no respect for our democratic values." "Matt, don't you think that our efforts to move Mr Amunde and his government toward moderation are just as important as disarming one more nuclear weapon?" "Forgive my cynicism." "We will show the president a good time." "Kennan, does Advanced Planning have anything to report?" "Yes, sir." "You'll note in your file, President Amunde will be arriving in ten days." "For security reasons, everyone, including the media, will think he's staying at the Garden Plaza Hotel." "Meanwhile, he'll be staying at Union Station aboard his own club car." "His own private railroad car, huh?" "A textbook case of Amunde paranoia." "He is the one with a working knowledge of car bombs and plane hijackings." "You are really dead-set convinced that he's a terrorist, aren't you?" "Well, he's not front line." "He's worse." "He orchestrates." "Maybe, maybe not." "I'm going to reserve judgment until I see real proof." "Two agents died on my last assignment to DSX trying to get that proof." "I know that, but if we don't come up with a peaceful solution, more people are gonna die." "Okay, what part would you like your director of intelligence to play in this Amunde visit?" "To make sure we're on the same page, why don't you tell me?" "Liaison with the appropriate government agencies, cover all would-be avengers, reactionary groups and pass on whatever might put him in harm's way." "Good man." "Couldn't have said it better myself." "Keep me informed." "All set?" "Did you see that?" "Did you see what I did?" "Well, what's the matter?" "I didn't do it right?" "You just stopped three great shots." "It's pathetic." "It's just pathetic." "Well, I'm sorry." "Whose idea was this in the first place?" "Not you." "Me." "You were amazing." "Amazing." "Yeah." "Amazing Grace." "Listen, I got a great idea." "Why don't we... quit while I'm winning." "No way." "I want you to stay out here and skate off some stress." "I don't want you to be a burnout." "Is that what this is all about?" "Is that why you got me down here?" "Boy, I get it from Farrell at the board meeting, and now from you here." "All right, let me tell you something." "I work a lot." "I'm a workaholic, all right?" "But I'm not a burnout." "No, you're not." "But you're gonna be if you don't put some fun in your life." "Fun?" "You call this fun?" "Yeah." "At least it takes the edge off." "Especially after a hard day at the office, taking apart nuclear warheads." "Listen, in case you've forgotten, disarming those warheads was only the first phase." "The defuelling process, which you are going to help me run tomorrow, is equally critical, if not more so." "Yes, I know." "All the more reason why you should relax." "You want me to relax?" "You want me to skate off some stress." "Gimme your best shot." "Come on!" "Give me your best shot." "Come on." "What are you waiting for?" "Let's go." "I'm ready." " Want your stick?" " Come on!" "All right, now, let's go." "You think you're so hot." "I'll show you how to get rid of stress." "Come on!" "Come on." " You ready?" " Yeah, I'm ready." "I wasn't ready." " Hi." " Well, hi." "What is this?" "That." "That is the head of a former Phoenix Foundation bureaucrat who was eaten alive." "Cause of death, political infighting." "Happens all the time." "Matthew, come on." "All right." "You want the real story?" "This is my friend, Cheech." "The rest of him won first prize at the cannibal cook-off." "Very funny." "Speaking of which, how about dinner tonight?" "Forget about him, just you and me." "Oh, Matthew, I can't." "That would make it three times this week." "Well... three's a charm." "That's what I'm afraid of." "Now listen, you wanted the investigative report on subversive groups." "I got it for you." "Here it is." "Back to business, huh?" "I'd love to have dinner with you, but I must go over the security briefing with President Amunde's advance men." "All right, okay, I'll take a rain cheque." "Do me a favour." "Can I have a copy of that briefing?" "It would help me coordinate some stuff on my end." "Absolutely." "I'll take care of that for you." "What's so important we couldn't discuss it over the phone?" "You know the opportunity we've been talking about for the last two years?" "It's just been laid at our feet." "President Amunde is coming to town." " You don't say?" " That's right." "The hierarchy of the Phoenix Foundation has this idea that we can help bring about world peace by coddling terrorists." "You're working for idiots." "So am I." "The official position of Pete Thornton and the Foundation is not to cast any aspersions until they have proof." "Proof?" "On Yaman Amunde?" "Forget it." "Just shoot the scum." "That's right, leave it to you boys at the DSX to cut down on the paperwork." "Kelham!" "What's the National Security Agency doing here?" "Defending the home front." "Who else is gonna do it, huh?" "We are." "Come on." "All set." "Come on in." "Well, I see we've got technical support." " How are you doing, Reese?" " Good to see you guys." "What's this?" "My favourite lady at the Foundation was able to furnish us with copies of President Amunde's security arrangements." "All right." "Let's get down to it, gentlemen." "Bottom line." "We all know our government's being held hostage by a no-assassination policy." "We know it's a weak-kneed law that a bunch of congressional cowards is not about to change." "Meanwhile, a kingpin of terrorism gets to walk right into our back yard and thumb his nose at us, and I don't like it." "I say we take him." " You mean sanction him?" " I mean take him." "We take him, and we shake him until we get the name and place of every lowlife in his terrorist network." "And then what do we do with Amunde?" "Release him?" "Yeah, exactly." "But not until our overseas contacts have had time to move in and terminate every fanatic on his payroll." "That's brilliant." "He'll point his finger at America, at us." "But who cares?" "Who's gonna believe him?" "And the same old nasty rhetoric just winds up being our best protection." "What about Pete Thornton?" "He sets the agenda for field operations, including Amunde's security." "Funny you should mention that, Reese." "I've been thinking about making serious changes around the Phoenix Foundation." "What's the status on our climate prerequisites?" "They holding?" "Delta-T weather conditions holding." "Temperature and barometer readings still the same." "Good." "And the fuselage is just about tapped out." "Less than 30 litres to go." "Positions, everyone." "Fuel pump shutoff and line disconnection." "All right, standing by." "Are we at zero volume yet?" "Yep." "All 35,000 litres pumped out." "Zero volume is confirmed." "Shut down pump, prepare for disengagement." "All right, shut down, disengage." "The meters are oscillating!" "We've got a charge reading here." "We've got a 25-volt oscillation!" "Emergency alert!" "Emergency alert!" "Evacuate area!" "Evacuate!" "Shut down all systems!" "Bring in all backups!" "Get the medevac choppers in!" "Seal off this area, now!" "Emergency alert, emergency alert!" "Thermal incident in facility three." "Thermal incident in facility three." "Emergency alert." "Emergency alert." "Be careful of the fumes!" "Where's that truck?" "Get that foam truck in here now!" "We're damn lucky the whole thing didn't go up!" " Are you all right?" " Yes." "Tell 'em to stand by!" "He's conscious and breathing on his own." "Pete?" "Get over here!" "All right, come on!" "Come on!" "What happened?" "What in the hell happened?" "Mr Webber, any Intelligence report?" "Mr Chairman, it appears to have been purely an accident." "There's not a whisper of subversive activity, and it just appears to have been a technical problem." "Mr Reese, what does Technical Review have to say?" "Our preliminary findings indicate that the fuel pumping system possibly gave off an unexpected power surge at the point of disengagement." "That can only be attributed to an electrical short in the circuitry." "The spark it emitted ignited the vapours and she blew." "That's our best assessment at this point." "Didn't anyone do a pre-run systems check on the pump?" "I did." "But it should have been re-checked." "Gentlemen, there's only one explanation here." "That's a serious breakdown in my safety review procedure." "It's my fault." "And I accept full responsibility." "Webber, Reese, would you excuse us, please?" "Peter, this is the last thing we expected." "Particularly with something under your supervision." "Yeah, I know." "I'm kind of surprised, myself." "But I missed something, Ed." "I should have backtracked and backtracked again, and I didn't." "Do you know how many calls I've received from the Department of Energy?" "The Pentagon?" "They want somebody's head." "We both know whose head that should be, don't we?" "I should have listened to you, Ed." "You warned me, didn't you?" "And I just ignored you." "Maybe I am burned-out." "Maybe your taking a short leave of absence might see us through this." "That's not gonna work." "This is too important." "And too many people have worked too hard to build this Foundation." "No one more than you, my friend." "Webber's ready." "He's a good man." "He can more than fill my shoes." "And he's younger." "You have my resignation, Ed." "Effective immediately." "I can't believe you just took off." "Where you been?" "Oh, I just took a long weekend." "Yeah, four days." "Thanks for telling me." "Do I have to tell you everything?" "If you want your plants watered, yeah." "I did." " Your landlady let me in." " Thanks." "I also cleared out all the science projects you had growing in the fridge." "Now, what's all this bunk about you retiring?" "Well, there's not much to say." "I handed in my resignation." "I've retired, that's all." "You can't, Pete!" "You're a type A personality, it's impossible." "Now just call Farrell." "Tell him you overreacted." "Look, I didn't overreact." "As a result of what I did three people are dead and eight more in the hospital." " Pete, it wasn't your fault." " I don't want to talk about it!" "You don't ask for or get a second chance after something like that." "Forget it." "So, what are you gonna do?" "Oh, well, I'm gonna carry on." "What do you think?" "I've got plenty to do." "I've got more things than I'll ever get done." "Like what?" "Oh, like... write my book." "Work on my boat." "Go fishing." " You hate fishing." " Camping." "You hate camping." "I want you back, Pete." "It's not the same without you." "Look, MacGyver, times change." "Things change." "It's over for me." "Besides..." "I'm sure Webber's gonna do a great job." "Oh, fine." "Mr Gung Ho." "What have you got against him?" "I recommended him myself." "He's not you." "I like being around a guy who knows his limitations." "Well, then we can stop arguing, can't we?" "Cos I've certainly learned mine." "Oh, listen, turn in this security pass for me, will you?" "I just didn't want to go back there again, that's all." "And why don't you go see Webber?" "Talk to him." "He's a good man, one of the best." "Do I look like I need a baby-sitter?" "Go on, get out of here." "Go on." "See you later." "Would you like a new desk, Mr Webber?" "No, no, I'll just use Thornton's." "Look, Nikki," "President Amunde's special brand of paranoia is only gonna make your life miserable." "Believe me." "So I'm gonna be the nice guy that you think I am, and I'm pulling you off this assignment." "What?" "No, Matt, don't worry." "I can handle him." "I know that." "It's not a question of that." "It's what else you can handle for me, as head of the Research Division." "Research?" "Oh, MacGyver, how goes it?" "That's what I came to find out." "Have you seen Pete?" "How is he?" "Well, he's back." "Give him a call, find out." "I will." "Well, I'm sure you two have things to talk about." "Always a pleasure, MacGyver." "Oh, I hate to have her leave, but I love watching her go." "So, MacGyver, I guess you want to be filled in." "I got a couple of environmental projects that I know that Thornton would have wanted you to commandeer." "Yeah, maybe later." "Right now what I want to do is my own review of that defuelling accident." "Why?" "That's yesterday's newspaper." "I know..." "It's personal." "Hey, look, Pete was my friend too." "That's why I don't want to see this dragged through the mud any longer than necessary." "I'm gonna miss his baldness around here." "But the bottom line is he let something get past him." "And it came around and bit him in the butt." "Look, MacGyver, between you and me I think maybe he knew it was time to hang it up." "Just as I know this organization has an agenda to meet which includes those environmental projects." "So, what do you say?" "Are you in or are you out?" "I'm out, Matt." "I got to get some answers first." "Is all our security in place?" "Yeah, we've got a lock on the entire perimeter." "Well, that makes our plan complete then." "Well, looks like we just became next door neighbours." "President Amunde, welcome." "I'm sure your visit here will prove to be very rewarding." "Perhaps." "MacGyver!" "How the heck are you?" "I'm good, Sam." "You know, I talked to Pete." "I..." "I don't like the sound of him." "No, neither do I." "Sick in the heart from watching the grass grow, if you ask me." "Oh, by the way, Johnson, that tech you put the fire out on?" "He's gonna make it." "Oh, that's great." "That's good." "Sam, do you mind if I look around?" "No, no, I don't mind, but the Foundation honchos say it's off-limits." "Sam, I want to poke around for Pete." "I think he needs an independent look at this accident." "Whether he wants it or not." "Yeah, go ahead." "What are friends for?" "Thanks." "Oh, Miss Carpenter!" "Good afternoon, Sam." "I just came to finish my parts inventory." "Sure." "Has he been cleared to be in here?" "As far as I know." "Sam, aren't you supposed to know?" "New assignment, MacGyver?" " Thought I'd take a look." " This is my job." "Well, feel free to dig in." "Pete could use all the help he can get." "That is the second time you have insinuated that I don't care about Pete Thornton." "You know damn well that I do." "I care a lot, MacGyver." "Hey." "I'm sorry." "No harm meant." "So is the Technical Department gonna reassemble this pump?" "That's right." "You know, I just don't get it." "Pete trained these guys to do no wrong." "He went over every piece of this equipment with a fine-tooth comb." "I watched him." "Well, the answer's bound to be here someplace." "Yeah." "That's strange." "This assembly shouldn't be on this side of the pump." "It looks like something's been patched in here to act as an interceptor between the pump motor and the power source." "Whoever put it in here was counting on it being fried with the rest of the pump." "I've been over this with Pete." "This is not a part of the original design." "You know, it's some kind of an electrical booster." "In the pump assembly?" "Impossible." "I know." "But here it is." "What are you getting at?" "When that fuel pump shut down, this thing kicked in and ignited the fumes left in the line." "This is what caused that explosion." "Are you saying that it was sabotage?" "It looks like Pete was set up." " Thanks again, Mrs. Tooley." " Thank you." "Pete?" "Okay, he's not here." "Like I said, he's probably out enjoying his retirement somewhere." "Yeah, I'm sure." "All right." "Look, I let you have the first move." "He's not here." "Let's go through the proper channels." "No, Nikki, I want Pete to know about this first." "MacGyver I've already stepped out of bounds on my case report." "Never mind that you're freelance." "I've got a chain of command to adhere to." "You know, you're sounding more like a bureaucrat every day." "I am one, damn it, born and bred." "Congratulations." "Look, MacGyver," "I know enough to know when I'm getting the runaround." "Now why won't you deal with Matt Webber?" "Because I want to protect Pete." "And believe it or not, I want to protect you." "In case of what?" "Well, who's sitting in Pete's chair?" "Webber." "Who has a better motive?" "That is a cheap shot." "Why am I talking to you?" "You're dating the guy." "What has that got to do with it?" "Have you read the man's dossier?" "Have you?" "You should." "Read about all the special assignments he did for the DSX:" "Vietnam," "Nicaragua, the Middle East, Afghanistan." "We're talking about some pretty nervous situations and places." "The man is capable of anything." "MacGyver you're forcing a scenario for a motive." "And you sure as hell haven't given me any proof." " It's a gut feeling, okay?" " Fine." "You follow your instincts, and I'll follow mine." "Nikki!" "Your Miss Carpenter is in the station coffee shop." "Who let her through?" "She showed her ID and said she needed to talk to you." "Said it was urgent." "You radio your people and tell them nobody gets into this terminal." " Are we about ready to go?" " Ten minutes." "Miss Carpenter will take about five." "Security, come in." "I'm sorry, miss, but we're closed." "Matthew." "Listen, I'm sorry I bothered you, but I wouldn't have had it not been urgent." "Bother me?" "Since when is coming to see me ever been a bother, Nikki?" "What's up?" "MacGyver and I found evidence of sabotage at the defuelling station." "This was used to mess up the fuel pump." "I have it all in my report." "MacGyver, huh?" "Well, I'm glad you came to me with this." " You are going to tell him?" " As soon as possible." "If you want to, I will." "God knows he's been through enough." "I'll get to the bottom of this." "I think we should tell Chairman Farrell right away." "I just get the feeling that you're not gonna be able to let go of this thing." "Now sit down." "Hey, Sam, I got your message." "I appreciate it." "No problem." "He's over there." "Thanks." "Pete?" "Pete?" "What are you doing here?" "I don't know." "Couldn't stay away." "Maybe I'm doing penance for my sins." "You can stop blaming yourself right now." "MacGyver, you don't understand." "Yes, I do, Pete." "That defuelling explosion was no accident." "It was sabotage, pure and simple." "What?" "What are you saying?" "Somebody planted an electrical charge in the fuel pump." "I wanted it between us so we could do an investigation, but Nikki's taken it to Webber." "I couldn't stop her." "Well, why should you?" "It's his job." "What are you saying about Webber?" "Webber got your job by default." "It's yours to take back if you want it." "MacGyver, you just may have given me the best news of my life, but that doesn't mean that I can go back in there and kick Webber out." "Don't you understand?" "There's protocol to follow here." "Listen, if there has been sabotage, he should investigate it." "It's his job." "What is this?" "Are you and Nikki collaborating on the bureaucratic bible or something?" "Let me show you what your heir apparent has been up to since you left." "Oh, MacGyver." "Is it protocol to fire all your division chiefs in a span of a week?" "What?" "Is it protocol to scrap your whole agenda the day after you leave the Foundation?" "The man has hired and fired, Pete." "Dive into the computers." "See what I saw." "Come on." "Or have you really retired?" "Good evening, Your Excellency, it's bound and gag time." "Let's show the minister to his new quarters, shall we?" "Come on, come on!" "Stout effort, gentlemen." "Like clockwork." "I brought us some unexpected company." "Well..." "Greetings, Amunde." "Welcome to This Is Your Life." "And you..." "You should have taken that job in Research." "Hacking my way into the Foundation files, why do I feel like a criminal?" "You shouldn't." "I've still got your pass key." "Yeah, the one you were supposed to turn in for me." "Yeah." "That one." "Take a look." "The Webber sweep." "I don't believe this." "He fired Renisch?" "And Hixon?" "They've been with me from the start!" "And Gelsey, no!" "These are good men." "Why is he doing this?" "Let's take a look at his operations agenda." "Got a password?" "Yeah. "Agenda."" " Where do you want to start?" " Amunde." "Wait a minute." "Who's this new guy?" "I put Nikki in charge of the security detail." "Wait a minute, I know some of these names." "These two are from the DSX." "And this one is from the National Security Agency." "Why do you think Webber's drafting them?" "Oh, my God." "Amunde's private train!" "Right next to a mail car." "MacGyver, these are assault plans." "Exactly the way we drew them up in the DSX for covert operations." "And Webber drew these up." "Amunde's his target, Pete." "Let's go." "Who handled the consulate bombing?" "Who was it?" "I want names!" "No, no, no, no." "I have a much better way." "You may have primitive forms of torture in your country, Your Excellency, but we're a little more sophisticated here in America." "This drug is called "the Converter."" "The reason we call it that is because ten cc's will make any man pray to God or..." "Or Allah, as the case may be, for relief from the pain." "Twenty cc's, the agony becomes so intense that heart attacks have been known to occur." "And it makes the arteries in the brain begin to swell, until you just feel like you're gonna pop." "Matt, you can't do this." "Oh, yes, Nikki, I can." "That's what this is all about." "The drug takes effect in just a matter of seconds." "So you tell us what we need to know, either on your own or with assistance." "The choice is up to you." "You have ten minutes to think it over while I, unfortunately, deal with another problem." "Sorry, Nikki." "MacGyver was right about you!" "Well, if you value his opinion so much, maybe I can bury you side by side." "Back off, MacGyver." " Hello, Pete." " Where's Amunde?" "We're questioning him." "You wanted proof, right?" "Well, this is gonna be the biggest score in counterterrorism." "Do you even know what you're doing?" "Why, for God's sakes, why?" "Why didn't you retire when you had the chance?" "Find Amunde!" "Webber's mine!" "Amunde's in the mail car." "Come here." "When I get on top, wait for my signal." "You've got to run faster than that." "Give it up, Pete." "You've been shuffling papers too long." "Gotten old... and soft." " Old and soft, huh?" " Yeah, definitely." "Hold it." "Now what?" " Hey, what is this?" " Open the door!" "Take care of Amunde!" "Well, two more for the unemployment line." "You know, maybe I am getting too old for this stuff." "Nonsense." "Looks like you just hit your prime." "My tooth is loose!" "Am I going to press charges at the World Court?" "No, I do not think so." "Let me tell you something." "If I were in the American's position, I would do the same thing." "But we're talking kidnapping and assault here." "I love America." "You have such sense of do-good and conscience." "He didn't even say thanks." "No." "Well, at least he got Webber pegged as his kind of guy." "Matt Webber." "I came so close to falling for his total line." " I..." "I'm sorry, Pete." " Well, don't feel too bad." " He had us all fooled." " Excuse me." " I'll take care of this." " Yes, ma'am." "I'm going to send this to Webber at Leavenworth." "He might like to see a familiar face." "Well, Pete, now that you got your old crew back, what are you gonna do?" "Well, I've got Jarvis getting the disarmament program back on track, and you're gonna be on that." "And I'm gonna take a little time off." "Time off?" "You just got back." "This whole experience has taught me I'm a little bit out of shape." " No, Pete, you're not out of shape." " I am, and I'm going back to school." " School?" " That's right." "Karate school." "This is the last time that anybody decks me with their foot."