East Wing
Episode Title: "The Peters File"
TEASER
INT. WHITE HOUSE – EAST WING – SECURE SITUATION ROOM – NIGHT
Director Ellen Hart (CIA), General Ricci (NATO), and Deputy Director Mason (CIA, clandestine ops) are gathered around a table scattered with newspaper clippings and a thick, redacted file. The President's chair is once again empty.
ON SCREEN:
A breaking news banner flashes: "Slain Church Founder Linked to CIA Drug Experiments—New Evidence Surfaces."
HART (grim):
This is a problem. George Peters was more than a fringe activist—he was about to go public with a film on MK-ULTRA, and now his murder is all over the media.
RICCI:
We've contained worse. The official story is that Peters was killed in a robbery gone wrong. No mention of his work or the film.
MASON:
It won't hold. Reporters are already connecting his past as a drug counselor to the CIA's mind-control experiments. His secretary, Susan Shore, is talking to the press.
HART:
We need to lock down every file, every associate, every institution that crossed paths with Peters or his LSD Rescue Group. If Scorpion gets wind of this, they'll blow the whole thing open.
RICCI:
We're already seeing chatter—activists, journalists, even a few members of Congress asking why so many institutions were involved in these experiments.
MASON:
We'll increase clearance levels. Only Omega Black and above. No digital records, physical copies only, and those stay in the vault.
HART:
If the President asks, we're running a review of "legacy behavioral research." Nothing more. The fewer who know, the better.
ACT 1: DAMAGE CONTROL
INT. CIA – BLACK SITE CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY
A wall-sized screen displays news reports and social media posts. The team watches as Susan Shore, Peters' former secretary, appears in a televised interview.
SUSAN SHORE (on TV):
George wanted to tell the world what happened in those experiments. He said the government was using people—vulnerable people—as test subjects, and he had proof.
HART (muting TV):
We need to discredit her. Leak that she's unstable, that Peters was delusional. If we can't erase the story, we bury it in doubt.
MASON:
We're monitoring all communications from the Church of Naturalism and their contacts. Anyone who tries to leak files or evidence is being flagged for immediate review.
RICCI:
What about the police investigation?
HART:
We're working with local law enforcement. The official line is a robbery. No mention of MK-ULTRA, no mention of the film.
ACT 2: INTERNAL FALLOUT
INT. WHITE HOUSE – ADVISOR'S OFFICE – DAY
A trusted advisor meets with the President, who is clearly frustrated.
PRESIDENT:
Why am I hearing about this Peters case from the news and not my own people?
ADVISOR (careful):
It's being handled, sir. Just a high-profile murder, nothing more. The intelligence community is reviewing any possible national security implications.
PRESIDENT:
I want a full report. No more surprises.
ADVISOR:
Of course, sir.
ACT 3: THE COVER-UP DEEPENS
INT. CIA ARCHIVES – NIGHT
A junior analyst, troubled by the mounting secrecy, quietly removes a copy of the Peters file and places it in a secure envelope marked "For Scorpion."
JUNIOR ANALYST (V.O.):
If the truth dies with Peters, what else will they bury?
ACT 4: THE MEDIA BATTLE
INT. EAST WING – MEDIA MONITORING ROOM – NIGHT
Hart, Ricci, and Mason watch as a newscaster previews the next episode of Scorpion, hinting at the brewing scandal.
ANCHOR (TV):
Coming up next on Scorpion: The team investigates the murder of a church founder who claimed to have been a subject in CIA mind-control experiments. As new evidence surfaces, the question remains—how far will those in power go to keep the truth buried?
HART (tense):
We need to get ahead of this. Leak alternative theories—organized crime, personal vendetta, anything but MK-ULTRA.
MASON:
We're already pushing stories to friendly outlets. The goal is confusion, not clarity.
RICCI:
And if Scorpion gets the file?
HART:
Then we discredit them, too. Paint them as conspiracy theorists, vigilantes. We've done it before.
ACT 5: THE SHADOWS CLOSE IN
INT. CIA – SECURE VAULT – NIGHT
The original Peters file is sealed in a vault, surrounded by other classified files on MK-ULTRA, Project Artichoke, and related programs. Mason signs the log, locking the vault.
MASON (V.O.):
The truth is only as safe as the secrets we keep.
TAG: SCORPION NEWS BROADCAST / TEASER
INT. TV STUDIO – NIGHT
A news anchor previews the next Scorpion episode.
ANCHOR (TV):
In the wake of a shocking murder, the Scorpion team is drawn into a web of secrets, lies, and government cover-ups. Who was George Peters, and what did he know about the CIA's darkest experiments? As the team races to uncover the truth, they face their most dangerous adversary yet—the shadow of history itself.
CUT TO:
INT. SCORPION HQ – NIGHT
Quick flashes:
– Paige reading the file with Ralph at her side
– Walter and Happy analyzing coded documents
– Sylvester and Garcia tracing digital footprints
– Toby interviewing a shaken Susan Shore
– The team realizing the stakes are higher than ever
ANCHOR (TV, V.O.):
Don't miss the next explosive episode of Scorpion: "The Peters File."
END OF EPISODE