"Kendall, there'd better be a good reason as to why you'd call me in at this hour," Mira said a little cranky.
"Ohh, there is Mira. There is." Mira followed him into the debrief room. She was met by her grandfather and her handler, Riley.
"Granddad?! What are you doing here?"
"Your grandmother gave us some vital intel about the functions of those chips you've retrieved."
"So, what are they used for?" she asked as she sat down next to Riley.
"Turns out, the chips are part of a time machine created by Rambaldi."
"A time machine?!" Mira didn't think those things existed.
"Yes, you see, Rambaldi wanted to see if his inventions would be of use in the future. To do that, he built the machine."
"Each chip that you retrieved, controls a different time frame. One is for the past, present, and future." Riley explained.
"It's possible that Kenneth wants the past chip most of all. We assume, so he can rescue his father from his death." Jack replied.
"But your grandmother informed me that no matter what Kenneth does, Sloane will still die."
"Would the present and future be effected?" she asked.
"Yes, it would."
"How?"
"She put it this way," Jack began. "We could be dealing with 2 Sloanes today, and..." he hesitated.
"AND?"
"Your parents themselves could even be alive ." She suddenly became speechless.
"Yes, that's possible. But, only IF we have the actual machine. Which we don't. KENNETH does." Kendall broke in. Mira could've broken his neck for bringing her down like that. But, it was true. The CIA DIDN'T have the machine. Kenneth did.
"So, how do you expect to GET the machine out of his hands?" she asked.
"Now, that's our problem. Kenneth is SUCH a rogue, that he could be ANYWHERE in the country, OR the world. We have no clear way to track him." Jack said.
"For all WE know he could've already BUILT the damn thing. All he needs are the chips." Kendall threw in.
"So, we could just bait him." Mira suggested.
"How?" Kendall asked.
"Kenneth NEEDS 3 things to use that machine. So, we make a rumor on the black market that the EXACT SAME CHIPS are available. He's bound to hear it, since he's always in the know about what's out on the market. If the rumor doesn't reach him DIRECTLY, it will surely reach one of his contacts. Who, I'm sure, would pass the message along. He'll make contact to the person who has it. And from there, the CIA can move in."
Kendall thought about it, and Jack was ready to burst with pride for his granddaughter.
"Sounds like a plan to me. I'll make arrangements."
------------
"It would be weird," she said softly, later that day at the warehouse where she met Riley for her missions on certain occasions.
"What would be weird?" Riley asked.
"If the CIA ACTUALLY got the time machine, and I could go back in time and see my parents, and talk to them. But, of course, I wouldn't tell them who I am. Because...I'm not allowed to."
"I can imagine how you must feel."
"No, you can't. You don't understand, Riley. Ever since I found out the truth about them, I always wondered what went through their minds everytime they went on a mission. They died before I could get to know them. And, until I was 8, I thought they were just regular people. The word "CIA" never entered my vocabulary, and for 3 years of my life, I was never told the truth about how they really died."
"What would you say to them?"
"I'd let THEM do all the talking. Knowing my mother, or what I knew OF her, she'd probably be upset with me."
"Why?"
"Well, she never enjoyed BEING in the CIA. And, I'm sure this wasn't what she'd wanted me to be." He chuckled a little.
"And your dad?"
She smiled. "He'd be proud, since I'm like, the 3rd one on HIS side to join the CIA WILLINGLY. My mom joined because she HAD to."
"You know, practically your entire family, is legendary around the agency. Even before you came, I remember hearing the other agents talk about your parents and your grandparents. It almost blew my mind when I heard all the things I heard."
"They were all pretty amazing, huh?"
"Hey," he nudged her. "You're pretty amazing too."
------------------------------
"There's no way you can bait Kenneth Sloane like a fish." Irina told Jack and Mira.
"Why not?" Mira asked.
"I can tell that this was YOUR idea. Look, if Kenneth IS the Rambaldi expert he WANTS to be, he'll know that Rambaldi just doesn't get out in the black market like that. Especially if they're GENUINE Rambaldi artifacts."
"Grandma, it'll work."
"There's no guarantee that he's going to fall for it. I mean, you're not exactly going to USE the REAL ones." Mira looked at her grandmother.
"You're not serious."
"It's only going to be when he wants to check their authenticity. After that, we'll just switch it."
"IF Kenneth WERE to travel back in time, how would he get back here, to HIS time?" Jack cut in.
"The purpose of the time machine was to fulfill a desire. Once the desire has been fulfilled, the traveler can go back to their time in peace." Irina replied.
"But, we need to GET the machine before he even has a CHANCE to USE it," Mira replied.
"The time machine isn't something you can put in your pocket. If you REALLY want to insure that Kenneth doesn't use the machine, then, you have to destroy it."
"There's no other way?"
"Mira, I know what this could mean for you. If the CIA DOES obtain it, you could actually get to see your parents. But, destroying the machine would keep the balance that destiny mapped out . You can't change that, because no matter what, destiny ALWAYS gets its way."
Mira began to look upset. "Mira, there's no other way."
-----------------------
Days later, the plans for Mira's op started to develop. "Okay, op tech is working on creating duplicate chips for the mission." Riley told her while they walked to their desks.
"How long will it take for the rumor to reach Kenneth?" she asked him.
"Our contact knows how to work fast. We should hear something between the next 24-48 hours." Her eyes widened.
"That fast?!" she stopped at her desk.
He smiled. "Yeah. Like I said, our contact knows how to work fast."
"They must be VERY reliable."
"SHE is." There was an awkward silence for a split second, before Riley spoke up.
"Uh...so, how did your grandmother take to your idea of the op?" She smiled at the question.
"You know, most grandmother's will let you take ANY risk because THEY never got the chance to do it when they were your age. MY grandmother, on the other hand, had to THINK about it before she would let me do this." He laughed.
"That's understandable. Her and your mother both dealt with his father. She knows what a Sloane is capable of. "
"That's true. I told her that if everything went as planned, a Sloane could FINALLY be behind bars, and I could get justice for my parents."
"Did you honestly believe that?"
"Yeah, I do. The ONLY reason WHY I'm in the CIA is because of my parents' death. Family legends or, 'tradition' had NOTHING to do with it."
"Mira, you can't do that. You can't do something for the sake of blood."
"Riley, YOU try being 6 years old, lose your parents, and then at 8, discover the secret they hid from you `til the day they died. Then, at 9, learn the COMPLETE truth about the way they were taken away from you. I mean, wouldn't you feel just a LITTLE helpless?!"
"Because, I sure as hell did." Now, it all became clear to Riley. The whole reason why she was so good at her job was because she was so driven to take down Kenneth Sloane for the wrong reasons. Riley couldn't believe that the daughter of the 2 most respected and revered agents in the CIA was in the same game to get revenge.
"You don't understand. You don't know how much I've DREAMED for a chance to find another connection to them. Since the day they died, I've dreamed of NOTHING ELSE. Since I was 9, I wanted to be sure that they didn't die in vain."
"They died trying to protect you. There's no way to avenge that."
"I have the CHANCE to finish what my parents started. And I am NOT going to pass it up because it's "unethical", or it's not part of my job description. You know me, Riley. I'm NOT going to DO THAT." Riley couldn't believe his ears. Mira was ready to fire at Kenneth Sloane before she even got within 10 feet of him.
"Mira, at some point in this game, you're going to stop and realize that being driven by revenge is wrong. No matter WHAT EXCUSE YOU GIVE YOURSELF. Deep down, you know that being in the CIA isn't about killing or capturing the bad guy. It's about serving your country and protecting innocent people."
"What about the ones who weren't even protected in the first place?! What about them?! THAT's when lord and country take a back seat." And with that, she turned and walked away. Riley knew there was no way to win ANYTHING with Mira. It felt as if this was something he had JUST realized. But, he's known it for 3 years.
"She's just like her mother," said a sage voice from behind him. Riley turned around, and he was face to face with Jack Bristow.
"Sir?" The older man smiled at him. Or, what LOOKED like a smile. This was Jack Bristow, after all.
"You should've seen her mother when she believed in something so strongly. NO ONE could make her change her mind. Not her husband, not her mother, not even ME. Mira is the EXACT same way."
"The stubborn part I can understand. But, she's being driven for the wrong reason. And, I don't think she sees that. She thinks that what she's doing is right."
"Riley, you have to remember, unlike you and me, Mira was BORN into this world of lie and deceit. She can't help but want to bring SOME honesty into her life."
"Ohh, there is Mira. There is." Mira followed him into the debrief room. She was met by her grandfather and her handler, Riley.
"Granddad?! What are you doing here?"
"Your grandmother gave us some vital intel about the functions of those chips you've retrieved."
"So, what are they used for?" she asked as she sat down next to Riley.
"Turns out, the chips are part of a time machine created by Rambaldi."
"A time machine?!" Mira didn't think those things existed.
"Yes, you see, Rambaldi wanted to see if his inventions would be of use in the future. To do that, he built the machine."
"Each chip that you retrieved, controls a different time frame. One is for the past, present, and future." Riley explained.
"It's possible that Kenneth wants the past chip most of all. We assume, so he can rescue his father from his death." Jack replied.
"But your grandmother informed me that no matter what Kenneth does, Sloane will still die."
"Would the present and future be effected?" she asked.
"Yes, it would."
"How?"
"She put it this way," Jack began. "We could be dealing with 2 Sloanes today, and..." he hesitated.
"AND?"
"Your parents themselves could even be alive ." She suddenly became speechless.
"Yes, that's possible. But, only IF we have the actual machine. Which we don't. KENNETH does." Kendall broke in. Mira could've broken his neck for bringing her down like that. But, it was true. The CIA DIDN'T have the machine. Kenneth did.
"So, how do you expect to GET the machine out of his hands?" she asked.
"Now, that's our problem. Kenneth is SUCH a rogue, that he could be ANYWHERE in the country, OR the world. We have no clear way to track him." Jack said.
"For all WE know he could've already BUILT the damn thing. All he needs are the chips." Kendall threw in.
"So, we could just bait him." Mira suggested.
"How?" Kendall asked.
"Kenneth NEEDS 3 things to use that machine. So, we make a rumor on the black market that the EXACT SAME CHIPS are available. He's bound to hear it, since he's always in the know about what's out on the market. If the rumor doesn't reach him DIRECTLY, it will surely reach one of his contacts. Who, I'm sure, would pass the message along. He'll make contact to the person who has it. And from there, the CIA can move in."
Kendall thought about it, and Jack was ready to burst with pride for his granddaughter.
"Sounds like a plan to me. I'll make arrangements."
------------
"It would be weird," she said softly, later that day at the warehouse where she met Riley for her missions on certain occasions.
"What would be weird?" Riley asked.
"If the CIA ACTUALLY got the time machine, and I could go back in time and see my parents, and talk to them. But, of course, I wouldn't tell them who I am. Because...I'm not allowed to."
"I can imagine how you must feel."
"No, you can't. You don't understand, Riley. Ever since I found out the truth about them, I always wondered what went through their minds everytime they went on a mission. They died before I could get to know them. And, until I was 8, I thought they were just regular people. The word "CIA" never entered my vocabulary, and for 3 years of my life, I was never told the truth about how they really died."
"What would you say to them?"
"I'd let THEM do all the talking. Knowing my mother, or what I knew OF her, she'd probably be upset with me."
"Why?"
"Well, she never enjoyed BEING in the CIA. And, I'm sure this wasn't what she'd wanted me to be." He chuckled a little.
"And your dad?"
She smiled. "He'd be proud, since I'm like, the 3rd one on HIS side to join the CIA WILLINGLY. My mom joined because she HAD to."
"You know, practically your entire family, is legendary around the agency. Even before you came, I remember hearing the other agents talk about your parents and your grandparents. It almost blew my mind when I heard all the things I heard."
"They were all pretty amazing, huh?"
"Hey," he nudged her. "You're pretty amazing too."
------------------------------
"There's no way you can bait Kenneth Sloane like a fish." Irina told Jack and Mira.
"Why not?" Mira asked.
"I can tell that this was YOUR idea. Look, if Kenneth IS the Rambaldi expert he WANTS to be, he'll know that Rambaldi just doesn't get out in the black market like that. Especially if they're GENUINE Rambaldi artifacts."
"Grandma, it'll work."
"There's no guarantee that he's going to fall for it. I mean, you're not exactly going to USE the REAL ones." Mira looked at her grandmother.
"You're not serious."
"It's only going to be when he wants to check their authenticity. After that, we'll just switch it."
"IF Kenneth WERE to travel back in time, how would he get back here, to HIS time?" Jack cut in.
"The purpose of the time machine was to fulfill a desire. Once the desire has been fulfilled, the traveler can go back to their time in peace." Irina replied.
"But, we need to GET the machine before he even has a CHANCE to USE it," Mira replied.
"The time machine isn't something you can put in your pocket. If you REALLY want to insure that Kenneth doesn't use the machine, then, you have to destroy it."
"There's no other way?"
"Mira, I know what this could mean for you. If the CIA DOES obtain it, you could actually get to see your parents. But, destroying the machine would keep the balance that destiny mapped out . You can't change that, because no matter what, destiny ALWAYS gets its way."
Mira began to look upset. "Mira, there's no other way."
-----------------------
Days later, the plans for Mira's op started to develop. "Okay, op tech is working on creating duplicate chips for the mission." Riley told her while they walked to their desks.
"How long will it take for the rumor to reach Kenneth?" she asked him.
"Our contact knows how to work fast. We should hear something between the next 24-48 hours." Her eyes widened.
"That fast?!" she stopped at her desk.
He smiled. "Yeah. Like I said, our contact knows how to work fast."
"They must be VERY reliable."
"SHE is." There was an awkward silence for a split second, before Riley spoke up.
"Uh...so, how did your grandmother take to your idea of the op?" She smiled at the question.
"You know, most grandmother's will let you take ANY risk because THEY never got the chance to do it when they were your age. MY grandmother, on the other hand, had to THINK about it before she would let me do this." He laughed.
"That's understandable. Her and your mother both dealt with his father. She knows what a Sloane is capable of. "
"That's true. I told her that if everything went as planned, a Sloane could FINALLY be behind bars, and I could get justice for my parents."
"Did you honestly believe that?"
"Yeah, I do. The ONLY reason WHY I'm in the CIA is because of my parents' death. Family legends or, 'tradition' had NOTHING to do with it."
"Mira, you can't do that. You can't do something for the sake of blood."
"Riley, YOU try being 6 years old, lose your parents, and then at 8, discover the secret they hid from you `til the day they died. Then, at 9, learn the COMPLETE truth about the way they were taken away from you. I mean, wouldn't you feel just a LITTLE helpless?!"
"Because, I sure as hell did." Now, it all became clear to Riley. The whole reason why she was so good at her job was because she was so driven to take down Kenneth Sloane for the wrong reasons. Riley couldn't believe that the daughter of the 2 most respected and revered agents in the CIA was in the same game to get revenge.
"You don't understand. You don't know how much I've DREAMED for a chance to find another connection to them. Since the day they died, I've dreamed of NOTHING ELSE. Since I was 9, I wanted to be sure that they didn't die in vain."
"They died trying to protect you. There's no way to avenge that."
"I have the CHANCE to finish what my parents started. And I am NOT going to pass it up because it's "unethical", or it's not part of my job description. You know me, Riley. I'm NOT going to DO THAT." Riley couldn't believe his ears. Mira was ready to fire at Kenneth Sloane before she even got within 10 feet of him.
"Mira, at some point in this game, you're going to stop and realize that being driven by revenge is wrong. No matter WHAT EXCUSE YOU GIVE YOURSELF. Deep down, you know that being in the CIA isn't about killing or capturing the bad guy. It's about serving your country and protecting innocent people."
"What about the ones who weren't even protected in the first place?! What about them?! THAT's when lord and country take a back seat." And with that, she turned and walked away. Riley knew there was no way to win ANYTHING with Mira. It felt as if this was something he had JUST realized. But, he's known it for 3 years.
"She's just like her mother," said a sage voice from behind him. Riley turned around, and he was face to face with Jack Bristow.
"Sir?" The older man smiled at him. Or, what LOOKED like a smile. This was Jack Bristow, after all.
"You should've seen her mother when she believed in something so strongly. NO ONE could make her change her mind. Not her husband, not her mother, not even ME. Mira is the EXACT same way."
"The stubborn part I can understand. But, she's being driven for the wrong reason. And, I don't think she sees that. She thinks that what she's doing is right."
"Riley, you have to remember, unlike you and me, Mira was BORN into this world of lie and deceit. She can't help but want to bring SOME honesty into her life."