TEXT: (A satellite hovers over Earth.) SYDNEY: (voice over) Some people think there's a conspiracy. That the government eavesdrops on everyone. It's no conspiracy. (Rooms full of hard drives, network wires. Satellites are lined up in a field. A computer database flicks through a facial recognition system picture archive.) SYDNEY: (vo) Right now, satellites and ground stations are listening in. (Someone speaks on the phone and we zoom through the mouthpiece.) SYDNEY: (vo) Faxes, e-mail communication, phone calls, are all routed to high-speed voice and optical recognition computers. They can analyze words spoken and written in any common language on Earth. (Cut to Sydney and Will in their kitchen. Will pours them something from a blender in two glasses. Looks like they just got back from jogging.) SYDNEY: The system's called Echelon. WILL: Yeah, I heard about Echelon. I just don't understand how it's legal. So, what, it's just like a computer that listens to and reads everything? SYDNEY: Yeah, looking for key words. The system scans two million conversations an hour. WILL: Yeah, while shamelessly violating the Constitution. SYDNEY: The National Security Agency argues it's one of its most important weapons against terrorists. And that they don't abuse the system. WILL: Somehow that's... unreassuring. SYDNEY: Well, there's this man named Gerard Cuvee who figured out how to hack into Echelon. He was able to pick up secure military communications. (Flashback to a building exploding on the top level.) SYDNEY: (vo) Because of that, he was able to locate and destroy a US military lab in Dresden. (Back to the kitchen.) SYDNEY: In London, we shut down Cuvee's access to Echelon and, thank God, kept it away from SD-6. WILL: So you get Echelon, you become Big Brother. SYDNE
SUMMARY:
After completing his first mission with Sydney, Marshall's life is placed in mortal danger. Meanwhile, Ariana Kane suspects Jack as being the prime suspect in the disappearance of Sloane's wife. Vaughn learns the truth about Jack's involvement in the murder of CIA agent Haladki and Sydney confides in Francie about her feelings for a fellow co-worker. Ariana Kane is portrayed by special guest star Faye Dunaway