The Listening Dead

- Let's talk about 1971.

- Okej.

The...

US Embassy in Rome, Italy.

Would you describe Sara Baldino

as the love of your life?

I don't know.

Yes or no, please.

Yes.

And yet you choose to discontinue

the relationship and be transferred here.

She was an Italian citizen.

It was against regulations. So...

Yes...

You could left agencys

people have you know.

They told me that if I left,

they would have to fire Phil, too.

- That will be Philip Kovacs.

- Yeah.

Please describe the nature of your

relationships with him.

Well, he's been my supervising officer

for about 20 years, and...

He is my friend.

Did you ever regret your decision.

No..

And have you had

any unreported contact since then?

No..

Thanks, Jim. We're done.

THE LISTENING:

In 1952 a secret organisation.

Known as The Black Chamber.

Was reborn by executive order

As the National Security Agency

It was tasked with codemaking, codebreaking

and collecting foreign communications intelligence.

5 years later, the first man-Made

satellite was launched into orbit.

More than 3,000 satellites

are now in operation...

Carrying our phone calls,

e - Mails and broadcasts.

Listening to this massive flow

of information..

Is a multi-Billion dollar

surveillance network..

Built by the NSA

And codenamed Echelon.

Every hour, unmanned computers...

Scan through millions

of intercepted calls...

Inside words largest listning station.

Only when Echelon recognises

a Significant word

Or a known voice,Does it

notify its human operators.

The men and women of Menwith Hill

Are highly specialized

Linguists...

Mathematicians and

computer scientists.

They are required to violate

the privacy of foreign citizens.

Cover your tracks

and make new ones...

While being allowed

very little privacy of their own.

Underpaid and

burdened with secrets...

They live their lives

according to a complex hierarchy.

Of codewords, paygrades

and colour-Coded badges.

By contrast, employees of the private

contractor corporations...

That provide the hardware

for Echelon...

Are allowed inside secure

facilities after abnormal scrutiny...

To promote new technology.

Wendell Cranshaw Technologies.

Why was he not given proper training?

He was...

Standrd employer pakage.

We'll issue him with a blue badge.

What?

Is there a problem, Mr Wagley?

No problem at all, Mr Lehmann.

We're all very excited

about your product.

It's just that we're a little touchy

about our colour-Codes.

Jim and I have 15 years

to get to blue,alright.

Shall we go meet the boy?

So... will I see you later?

Okay,Sorry.

I'll be ready in a minute, sir.

Our friends seem to be concerned..

About your attitude towards security.

That's not a problem, sir,

Once they see the product.

Well, the product is useless

unless kept secret.

Should the sale not go

through,the board and I...

Would have to hold you responsible

For the RD expenditures.

That's about,400 million dollars.

Perhaps you're not...

familiar with my salary.

Shall we go?

Sure.

So,You boys and girls are spies.

Well, I've got a surprise for you.

Miss, Would you please step up here and

Give Nicholas your

home phone number.

That's him,That's Pepper.

I can hear my dog barking.

Thank you, Miss.

Well, that's it, guys!

That's all it is!

Tumbleweed lets you listen into

Any room where there's a telephone.

Even if the receiver's

on the hook...

And without you having to go into that

room and tamper with telephone beforhand.

- What about cell-Phones?

- Cells?

They're easy!

They're little walking bugs,

even when they're turned off.

And everybody's got one.

So,you all look like college graduates.

Any ideas on how to neutralise our big

fancy 400 million dollar system?

And if it's a cell-Phone,

You should remove the batteries

And the SIM card probably.

- Tony Ashe.

- Jim Wagley.

Nice to meet you, Jim.

Thank you very much!

Well, I'm a level kind of guy.

So I'm gonna have to admit

that Jim is right.

Tumbleweed is still a little

fragile in that area...

...but at Wen Cran we believe that

if the comsec is handled right...

We can get another 5 years

of operational life out of this.

So what do you say, boys and girls?

As we told in Fort Meade

we will sell this dreamy little

Thing of magic to you...

For a song...

I see you later.

- Wait up jim,I'll give you a ride home.

- But essentially a song.

- I'll stay here and bunk.

- But their Bunks are so small.

So is home.

Suit yourself.

Right now 32 of my colleagues

have just finished their own demos...

In the signals intelligence

branches of our Embassies..

Paris, Prag, Hage, Lisbon,

Athens, Madrid and Rome.

If they're gonna listen to something,

I guess the term "Tumbleweed" is a good bet..

Yes, sir, Mr Ashe.

No, it was Murray's, sir.

I don't know,Okay.

Our guys are here.

The NSA are entering the data

in their Echelon Dictionary.

Word search, Ben.

If anybody uses the word "Tumbleweed"on

a telephone anywhere in the world

They hear it and pass

it on to our guys.

What do you mean

by "anywhere in the world"?

Try saying "semtex" into

a phone in an Arabic accent.

That's a frogshit, Michael,

they don't have the technology yet...

- It's a total legend.

- You getting a degree in a total legend.

Michael Ellison.

Roving Logistical Support.

No briefcase?

Sir. Sir!

I'm sorry.

Head Office didn't tell me what time

the flight was, for some reason.

Where are you going?

I'm...

Nothing. I'm just

running a little late.

No, you're not.

You're staying right here...

Until you find that briefcase

And Disable those sabotouers.

This thing in Rome...

See you, Anthony!

It's all about technical things,disks...

A big book...

Top Secret, Comint,

Gamma Plus...

Capricorn, Noforn, Orcon,

Substation Operations Manual..

..."TUMBLEWEED".

For sure they

are technical things.

- Come on, I won't throw it away.

- Tomorrow I'll return it to them.

Come on! Do you care about it?

- Why don't you look inside?

- I don't want to.

Listen, tomorrow I will take it

To the Carabinieri at 6:00 pm.

And even if it takes me 2 hours, I'll

come and visit you before you leave.

- See you tomorrow then?

- Yeah.

All right. Bye. - Bye bye.

Ashe...

- What?

- Such a flake!

So laid back he can barely see

Over his pelvis. - Yeah.

Everybody out.

You heard.

Echelon got a hit on the word

"Tumbleweed" 95 minutes ago.

Woman named Francesca Savelli

mentioned the manuals on the phone...

The entire cover of one of them.

I guess Ashe got lucky.

Said she plans to return them

at 18:
00 tomorrow to the Carabinieri.

What's the problem?

- Until she does, you listen.

- Why should I listen?

Tumbleweed's got bumped

up to Gamma Glide plus.

You and I are the only

ones cleared and I'm busy.

Well, get busy.

Yes, it's lovely.

I know, I really didn't think

they were going to buy it.

Oh, God.

The copies are f***ing horrible.

No, it's the doodle.

Looks like pee on snow.

I can't send this

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