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01x05 - The Path Of Totality

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Atomic". Aired: August 28, 2025.*
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Two civilians get caught up in a cartel's uranium smuggling across North Africa.

01x05 - The Path Of Totality

Post by bunniefuu »

The following programme contains
strong language and violent scenes.

You put a tracker on them?
Not THEM, the backpacks.

'We track the HEU all the way
to the handover to the buyers.'

We walk into that place,
they don't care what happens to us.

They need BOTH ingots.

I'll go in first with mine,
make sure Laetitia's OK.

No!
Don't follow me.

[TYRES SQUEAL]

Vite! Vite! Go! Go, go, go, go!

Tish, I AM gonna
get you out of here.

Did Mark send you?
To bring me the HEU? Mark?

REYNER: This is for Danny.
And for Carlos.

No! Please, God! No! No! No!

[g*nsh*t AND GRUNTING]

JJ: 'I know
what my jihad is now, Max.

We have to find that b*mb.'

Where you sending it?

SAYED: 'This b*mb can go anywhere.'

[TENSE MUSIC]

You never thought someone
would find out she wasn't your girl?

I was in Guinea-Bissau.
She was in Spain.

Who was gonna find out?
Someone you told about her!

You told everyone about her!
You never shut up about her.

Showing that f*cking picture,
talking about love all the time.

I didn't think they'd go
and get her - kidnap her!

Well, they did. That's what people
in drug cartels do.

If they can't get you,
they go for what you love.

WHO you love. [SIGHS]

What happens when you get the b*mb?

I take it somewhere.
Out in the desert.

Middle of nowhere.

I'll bury it so no one can find it.

Do you want me to help?

No. It's something
I've gotta do alone.

Oh. OK.

Cool.

I won't hurt anyone else.

No more violence.
Can you do that?

Sure.

I can do that.

If you can stop lying?

I can stop lying.
Yeah?

I only lied about Laetitia
because I was lonely.

Is that a lie?
No!

It's lonely being a drug trafficker.
You have to live a lie.

It's the only way to survive.

This... is my jihad.

This b*mb is the test
that Allah has sent me.

He hasn't. He hasn't really
sent you any f*cking test.

And don't tell me
something was written, either.

I never believed any of it.

Any of the signs,
or the omens, or the faith.

God doesn't f*cking exist.
The b*mb exists.

And we're the reason it exists.

It's our responsibility, OK.

Can't let it be used to k*ll people.
I have to do something about it.

Whatever we do...
it isn't gonna make a difference.

It's gonna make a difference to ME.

I can do something that's good.

That's right.

Something Kamal
would be proud of me for doing.

♪ RADIOHEAD: Bodysnatchers

♪ I do not understand

♪ What it is

♪ I've done wrong

♪ Full of holes

♪ Check for pulse

♪ It is the 21st century

♪ It is the 21st century

♪ Oh, the lines
wrapped 'round my face

♪ Oh, the lines
wrapped 'round my face

♪ Are for anyone else to see

♪ Are for anyone else to see

♪ I'm a lie... ♪

[ENGINE ROARS]

[RINGING TONE]

Answer me, you m*therf*cker.

[PHONE BUZZING]

He's gonna catch up with you,
you know that.

[PHONE BUZZING]

And you could still have a normal
life if you help me now, Sayed.

Co-operation buys a lot of goodwill.

[MUFFLED CHATTER OUTSIDE]

Keep quiet.

Salam. Salam.

[THEY SPEAK FRENCH]

'They can't be
out of the country yet.'

We need to monitor the airports,
everything.

Where's the nearest port to here?
MILLS: Casablanca.

Get a team there.

[HORN TOOTS]

We're getting closer.

[SEAGULLS CRY IN DISTANCE]

[MUFFLED CHATTER]

SAYED: Something's wrong.

We need to go.

[ENGINE STARTS]

[REVERSE WARNING BEEPS]

[RINGING TONE]

So we're stopped from embarking?

They were searching
the other trucks. We left.

Where are you now?
We're heading out of the city.

Heading north.

[TRUCK HORN BLARES]

The uranium's on the move.
Where? Onto the boat?

No. They've left the port.

I think they're coming this way.

Stop!

You ever hijacked a lorry before?

Once or twice.

How d'you do it?

Well, you gotta stop it
and then get in the cab.

Is that it?

There, that's it?

They just stopped.

[HORN TOOTS]

♪ GRINDERMAN:
Honey Bee [Let's Fly To Mars]

♪ Mad mullahs and dirty bombs

♪ Alert the coastal command
f*ck.

♪ Honey bee, let's fly to Mars

♪ Honey bee, let's fly to Mars...
Let's go. Let's go, let's go.

♪ Honey bee, let's fly to Mars...

[TYRES SQUEAL]

[HORNS HONK AND BLARE]

Wooh!

[LAUGHS] Keep up!

You're not going anywhere, mate.

[ENGINE ROARS]

Who the f*ck is he?
[CHUCKLES]

[g*nshots]

[b*ll*ts HIT VEHICLE]

Go on, my son!

[GROANING]
[TWO g*nshots]

[TWO g*nshots]

[GROANING]

[GROANS]

Yeah, f*ck off!

SAYED: Cassandra.

There's more than one.

You weren't supposed
to be k*lling anyone else!

I didn't.

[GROANS]

We need to get him to hospital.
No! No hospitals.

We need to get
the uranium out of here

before anyone else
from the Cartel shows up.

I came for the b*mb.
I'm taking it.

He's on a jihad.

It doesn't mean
what you think it means.

I'm gonna make it disappear.
[HORNS TOOTING IN BACKGROUND]

I wanna stop this, too.

And I want to trust you guys,
but I need you to promise me

that you WILL do it.

No bullshit.

[SHOUTING IN DISTANCE]

And you don't need to take the b*mb.

You just need to take the uranium.

I'm coming with you.
No! Max, listen...

It's my jihad.

I have to do this.
[MAN SHOUTS]

[THREE g*nshots]

Everyone, stay back!
S'il vous plait!

Je suis CIA.

[g*nshots]
FBI. INTERPOL.

It's your jihad,
but you can't drive.

You need my help now.

It's always been a two-man job.

I'll be your delivery driver.

I'll deliver you.

[PANTING]

[CHUCKLES]

We need to hurry.

I thought it'd be smaller.

We'd have never got this in the car.
Where's Laetitia?

Oh, er... Oh, yeah.

She's dead. She died.

One of the Cartel guys shot her.

A few times.

I'll grieve later, but y'know...

once I'm done
with this jihad stuff, probably.

Right.

We do need to hurry, though.

Uh... right.

Here you go, mate. You alright?

Your boss... Alam.
What's gonna be his next move?

He'll try to go back
to Guinea-Bissau.

He won't go to an airport.
He'll go overland.

There's a route we sometimes use
through Algeria and Mali.

That's the way he'll go.
Hey, I'm so sorry about Laetitia.

I wish I could have done something.
Yeah...

Get Alam. That WILL be something.

Good luck.

I'll bury the uranium in the desert.
Far away from anyone.

You have to buy us time.
Do my best.

[ENGINE STARTS]

Did you tell her Laetitia died?

No.
Yes, you did! I heard you!

Stop lying to me, you arsehole!
You stop k*lling people!

You k*lled that bloke in the lorry!
He pulled the trigger! He shot ME!

So, how the f*ck did he die?
It was an accident!

Bollocks.

Unbelievable.

You trust her to give us time?

We don't have a choice.
She sent us into that riad to die.

They were never gonna let us
walk away.

Never gonna let me see Kamal again.
Or give you a new life.

They f*cked us.

Yeah, they did.

MILLS: There's no HEU.

Why'd you do it, Mark?

He was perfect for the role.

He could pass as an Islamist
and he just built a viable device.

Not for jihadis, for Alam.
For the Cartel.

What?
And it's not the only one.

What do you mean, it's not?
Where are the others?

You lied to me about the uranium.

You knew exactly where it was going.

You used my report against him.

Jesus, Mark!
What were you thinking?

He's the enemy.

Is this from Sayed?

You're totally f*cked.

Right now...
we need to find the uranium

to prove the Russians
are involved in this plot.

Where is it? Who took it?
Mohamed and Max.

But you're not gonna find them.

Huh.

If there's other bombs,
we need to find Alam.

I think I need you
to go back to Beirut, Cassie.

I'm not going back to Beirut.

Go back.

Or I'll make life
very difficult for you.

I'll make life very difficult
wherever you go.

You're gonna pay for this.

I need you to do something for me.

[ENGINE ROARS]

How far d'you think we need to go?

As far as possible.

You need to make sure you have
enough petrol to... get away.

What you gonna do
after you leave me?

Where you gonna go?
I dunno.

Where will YOU go?
I'm staying in the desert.

Yeah?

Makes sense.

I've got no home.

No escape for me.

You can still escape.
[SCOFFS] Can I?

Yeah.

Where d'you wanna go?

I don't wanna go anywhere.

I wanna do something.

Something worthwhile.

The driver of the b*mb truck
was intercepted.

The scientist is dead.

The police in Casablanca
have the truck.

If the Americans get the uranium
that is in the b*mb-

That will be a problem
for you and your father.

My father doesn't like loose ends.

Fortunately,
they don't have the uranium.

It wasn't in the b*mb.

I'm going to get back
to Guinea-Bissau.

Do you want to get back to London?

Yes.

I will arrange for a car to take you
somewhere you can fly from.

Thank you.

We will take care of the loose ends.

You DID do something good.
You saved Laetitia.

YOU did that.

She didn't die.

She's alive.

That's the main thing.

I suppose.

What?

You really didn't think
someone would find out

she wasn't your missus?

f*ck off!

[LAUGHS]

[SPEAKS SPANISH]

It's unfortunate.

[SHE CRIES OUT]

No.

Am I still on the road?

Stay with me, JJ.

JJ!

JJ!

My name's not JJ.

sh*t.

[ENGINE OFF]

Must have driven off the road.

Alright.

This is as good a place as any
to bury it.

Max!

Salam.

Wa alaikum assalam.

I'll go and get the other one.

[JJ GRUNTS]

[SPEAKS ARABIC]

Oh...

No. No hospital.

No.

Shukran.

[GRUNTS SOFTLY]

It's uranium.

Here.

It's for a b*mb.

Une bombe atomique.

[LAUGHS]

[LAUGHS]

What's that all about?

That moon.

It's f*cking huge.

Always freaked me out when I was
in Guinea Bissau. The sky.

Same in the desert.

Nothing else to look at.

What do you think happens
if you put the uranium together?

Why?

Maybe I shouldn't bury it.

Maybe I should destroy it.

How you gonna do that?

Put the two pieces
of uranium together.

And if it explodes...

..you'll be a suicide b*mber.
f*ck off.

I always knew you wanted to be one.

Remember what you said in Palmyra?

All that work, thousands of years,
and you destroyed it.

Destruction ain't the answer.

What other option is there?

What about HIM?

What if he lives here?

No k*lling anyone, remember.

Then I'll have to move on.

Then I'll stay.

Till the morning.

Then if you have to move...

..WE'LL move... together.

Alright.

[FIRE CRACKLES]

[BIRDSONG]

[FLIES BUZZ]

[g*n CLICKS]

Morning, shagger. WEBVTT
X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000, MPEGTS:0

Looks like f*ck all, eh?

Get on the net. Tell them
that we've got the uranium.

You have to keep them apart.
I know.

I'm not a f*cking eejit.

How did you find us?

Been following you
ever since you left the airbase.

You AND your little friend.

Don't trust those Yanks.

Or anyone.

Ouff.
[GROANS]

You want a bandage?

Morphine?

Wee jab?
Is there any point?

You're gonna k*ll me.

That's right, I am.

I have to take that uranium
to the Yanks first.

Or do I?

Move!

No! Wait!

Come on.
You can't just sh**t him.

You gotta arrest him
or something first.

Arrest him? You're in the middle
of the f*cking desert, pal.

I know he was a jihadist,
but you can't-

Jihadist? He's no f*cking jihadist.
He was a jihadi.

He was in Syria.

JJ?
My name's not JJ, Max.

You not been honest with him, Mo?

Oh, mate, you don't get it.

He's one of us.

He was in the army.

The spooks needed people who are
on the inside of Islamic State.

Needed people on the ground
to feed them information.

He was there as a spy
for British intelligence.

He was very convincing, mind.

"Al Britani" they used to call him.

Thought you was a true believer?

I became a true believer in Syria.

And then you f*cking lost it.
Swapped sides.

I tried to leave.
Couldn't take it anymore.

Too f*cking late, man.
You k*lled my family.

I tried to get out, Max.

Get away.

When I told them where I was...

they bombed my house
with my wife and child inside.

You betrayed us, man.
You disappeared.

You went rogue -
full Colonel f*cking Kurtz.

You betrayed ME.
I betrayed YOU?

I saved your f*cking kid, man!

f*ck it.

You saved Kamal?

You're lying!

YOU'RE LYING!
Why the f*ck would I lie?

After the airstrike, team landed,
went through the rubble.

I found your kid.

His mum was dead.

It was like she'd protected him
with her body.

Fair f*cking play, man.
Taking THAT blast.

But where the f*ck where YOU, eh?

Where the f*ck where you?
How the f*ck did YOU survive?

I ran.

I left my family to die.

You f*cking did.

No! Stop!
Boss!

It's the Cartel.
They after what you've got?

Probably.

Get to cover.

[URGENT SHOUTING FROM CARTEL]
Move!

Move! Move!

[SHOUTED ORDERS AND g*nf*re]

Get behind me!
They hit them, we're dead!

Well, get it to cover, then!

Move! Move! Move!

[g*nf*re CONTINUES]

And stay there!

We just got word that they've been
intercepted by a British patrol.

Do they have the uranium?
Yes.

They have it.

Any news on Cassie?
Not yet.

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

The f*ck?

[RAPID g*nf*re]

You f*cking lied to me?

I'm sorry.

[RAPID g*nf*re CONTINUES]

[MAN SHOUTS]

Cassie?

[GROANS]

[THREE g*nshots]

[KICKS g*n AWAY]

[PHONE BUZZES]

[BUZZING STOPS AS CALL IS TAKEN]

MARK: "Is it done?"

Hello?

Somebody else caught up with them.

We'll be there ten minutes.

Max!

[g*nf*re CONTINUES]

[GROANS]

f*ck.

[RAPID g*nf*re CONTINUES]

f*ck!

Let's move! Let's go, go, go!

[ENGINE ROARS]

After all the sh*t
you gave ME about Laetitia?

It's not the same thing.
It's a lie. You're a f*cking liar.

It was mostly the truth.
MINE was mostly the truth!

I DO love Laetitia.
She can hate me if she wants.

But that's not a lie.

What made you change, then?
When you were in Syria?

I joined the army
to try and prove something.

Prove I was one of them.

But you never are.

But when I was out there,
I saw the things that was happening.

The place where you are,
the people you're with...

..they change you, don't they?

They think
we're the worst people on earth -

a jihadi and a drug dealer.

We don't have to be
the thing they think we are.

We can be something different.

I see it.

[ENGINE ROARS]

That's them! Let's go!
What about the Brits?

f*ck the Brits! Keep going.

I'm sorry I dragged you into this.
I dragged YOU into it.

No, it was my fault.
If I hadn't ambushed ya.

I persuaded you to go to Beirut.
I persuaded you to go to Palmyra.

With Baal. That was f*cking stupid.
You were on a pill, mate.

You weren't thinking straight.

Besides, they would've
caught up with us anyway.

There's no escape.

Let's see.

[ENGINE ROARS]

Don't get too close.

[GROANS]

It's the end of the road.
Yeah.

So what do we do?

Stop.

Stop here!

Is it an eclipse today?

Looks like it!

You ever seen one before?
No.

You're not supposed to look at it.

Damages your eyes.

What d'you wanna do?

Get out?

[ENGINE OFF]

Keep down. They've got a sn*per.

Have you got a shot?
One sec.

Out of view.
[ENGINE ROARS]

Get the other one.

Who the f*ck are THESE guys?
Hey, keep them back!

Drop your weapons!

[ALL SHOUT]

Drop your g*ns!

Tell me you've got a shot?
Almost.

Drop your f*cking weapons!

[SHOUTING CONTINUES]

I said, drop your f*cking weapons!

What the f*ck's going on HERE?!
Stay back.

You promised him to ME.
I'm not finished with him, yet!

Too f*cking bad. He's mine now.

Stay where you are!
f*ck off!

It's Alam's men.

And Rab.

None of them are having it.

[GROANS]

If we put them together...
it might destroy 'em.

And us.

Ah.

[ETHEREAL MUSIC]

It's beautiful.

They call it the totality.

I think it's a sign.

Yeah.

I think it's a sign, too.

[GRUNTS]

It's our time, Max.

f*cking load of pish.

f*ck this.

Come on!

Don't go down there!

Hey! You son of a b*tch!

Go! Go! Go! Go!

Tell me you got a shot.

[GRUNTING]

On three.

One!
We going on three?

Or did we say, go AFTER three?
On three we go!

Take the shot.
I see nothing.

You take the f*cking shot!
I haven't got one!

One!

BOTH: Two!

BOTH: Three!

[DRAMATIC MUSIC BUILDS]

[SILENCE]

[DULL AMBIENT SOUND]

[SCRAPING IN DIRT]

[GROANING]

[PANTING]

[VEHICLE APPROACHES AT SPEED]

[VEHICLE ARRIVES AND DOOR OPENS]

Did Alam do this to you?

Yeah.

Oksana, if I help you...

..you have to help me.

Can you do that for me?

Yeah.

[BIRD SCREECHES]

♪ PARAMORE: Burning Down The House

♪ Hold tight

♪ Wait till the party's over

♪ Hold tight

♪ We're in for nasty weather

♪ And there has got to be a way

♪ Burning down the house

♪ My house's

♪ Out of the ordinary

♪ That's right

♪ Don't wanna hurt nobody

♪ Some things
sure can sweep me off my feet

♪ Ah, burning down the house

♪ I don't know what you expect

♪ Staring into the TV set

♪ Fightin' fire with fire

♪ Ahh! Burning down the house ♪