Invisible Hand (Nikita)

The Invisible Hand are a secret group that features in the Nikita universe.

History
The Invisible Hand were a think tank that operated around the world who operated in the shadows. (Episode: Invisible Hand) Members of the group were a noted supplier of high tech equipment from keltrex prosthetics, kill-chips, polymer masks and pharmaceuticals. He himself would make a number of follow-up visits in order to see the effectiveness of the technology as Division was using as a ground for advanced field testing with any clinical data recorded. This group did not care for money but rather the results of their experiments. (Episode: Brave New World) They considered Division to be their best testing ground for the products of their research. (Episode: Invisible Hand) At some point, the Invisible Hand recruited Doctor Loren Tolcher who studied the nanoparticle drug delivery system undergoing research by Doctor Kang that was in development and weaponizing it. (Episode: Invisible Hand) American President Kate Spence during the G20 summit was kidnapped by the Shop and replaced with an imposter. (Episode: Til Death Do Us Part)

At some point, the organization came into contact with badly wounded Kosovan dictator, Kosta Beciraj who had lost a limb to an attempt made on his life. Using their technology, they offered to provide him with a functioning replacement organic limb with an agent by the name of Heidecker being dispatched to provide injections to ensure the newly grown limb did not die. This was an arrangement whereby children were provided for the Invisible Hand's experiments in exchange for the limb. During this time, United States President Spencer ordered the new Division that had faced a management change to eliminate Kosta Beciraj whereby they secretly injected him with a compound that caused his new grown limb to slowly reject his body. Thus, he came to believe that the Invisible Hand had betrayed him and did not allow Heidecker to return to his employers until he was cured. Division agent Nikita sought to acquire Heidecker which led to Beciraj thinking she operated on behalf of his mysterious employers. Ultimately, Nikita managed to escape with Heidecker where she considered an alliance with the group when they offered to provide a replacement limb for her fiancée Michael who had recently lost his arm. However, they reconsidered after learning that his jet had a large number of children held as captives and in the confrontation Hiedecker was killed thus seemingly any attempt for Michael to get a real hand but instead make do with a crude prosthetic. (Episode: Brave New World)

Afterwards, Michael continued to seek out Heidecker's employers though the new Division did not know anything about the secretive and mysterious group. Informally, they were referred to as "The Shop" by Division personnel and it was determined that they had provided technology to Division in the past. Michael sought them out again in order to get the technology needed to provide a true replacement for his lost hand. His findings led him to determine that they used Bellfar Systems as a base of operations and went to confront them. However, this proved to be a bait designed to engineer another meeting between their group and Division. An automated facility was created with a virtual facsimile of Heidecker being used as a negotiator whereby he offered a bio-prosthesis for Michael in return for a covert op to be conducted by Division for the group's behalf. This mission involved travelling to Nanjing in China in order to steal a biotech prion device from a secure laboratory. Nikita managed to complete the mission whilst the automated machines operated on Michael whereby they attached his hand as well as provided the anti-rejection medication. (Episode: Tipping Point) Unknown to Division, this was a trap made by the Invisible Hand and Amanda who laced a nanotoxin on the bone of the bio-prosthetic designed to be used as leverage against Nikita in the future. (Episode: Invisible Hand)

Through the blackmailed Nikita, they had her make an assassination attempt on President Spencer who was actually an imposter put into place by the Invisible Hand with the original being held hostage secretly. During this time, Nikita managed to save Michael from the nanotoxin though Amanda through 'Shop' resources hired rogue Division agents to attack and raze their former headquarters. (Episode: Til Death Do Us Part) For two months, Alexandra Udinov was responsible for shutting down three of the Hand's supply centers for human test subjects. By this point, Nikita had also appeared active where the Invisible Hand had drones track her whilst sending anonymous tips to the authorities to arrest her. Ms. Udinov later struck at a Shop exchange in Mumbai where one of the Hand' buyers managed to escape with a single test subject. This development led to the Invisible Hand targeting Alexandra Udinov as a threat to their continued operations. A Shop sleeper agent acting as the Deputy Director Matthew Graham of the FBI was later responsible for framing Nikita Mears by implicating her in the apparent death of journalist Dale Gordon. (Episode: Wanted) The Deputy Director was actually a double that Nikita targeted for assassination in order to limit the damage he did thus depriving the Shop of one their assets as well as accelerating their plans. (Episode: Set-Up)

Their second mole within the NSA was Director Ronald Peller who was discovered to be a double by Nikita Mears time. He was the father of Seymour Birkoff who intended to save his father but the plot was discovered. This saw the head of the Shop conducting his own campaign against Nikita whilst Amanda secretly started a procedure to use Ronald Peller to break the codes to Shadownet. (Episode: Set-Up) The Shop in the mean time began its secret operations in Karachi at Pakistan and it was decided that the continued feud with Nikita Mears was not profitable. Thus, they contacted her in an attempt to buy her off and end the conflict but she refused as she wanted to shut down the Invisible Hand's operations. The Shop had plotted to take control of warheads in Pakistan and launch them at a U.S. Carrier Group in order to create open warfare between the two countries. Their plan was seemingly thwarted by Nikita and her allies with Phillip Jones seemingly being captured and Amanda killed but this proved to be part of their ultimate plan. (Episode: Pay-Off)

Overview
They prided themselves on their indiscretion which was the prime reason why they were invisible to the rest of society. Initially, it was believed that the "Shop" was an American based think tank but they were actually much larger as they operated on a global scale with bases around the world. (Episode: Invisible Hand) Their facilities were known to correspond to many known hubs for human trafficking. Typically, they did not meddle in events that raised questions in order to remain invisible. Their financial reserves were considerable allowing them to hire agents to operate on their behalf such as mercenaries. (Episode: Til Death Do Us Part) Furthermore, they were able to use their influence to send anonymous tips to authorities to arrest their enemies. (Episode: Wanted) According to them, they were not fighters but negotiators which meant that they did not engage in fighting but exchange in order to achieve their goals. (Episode: Pay-Off) They had many arms to their organization such as a $14 billion dollar company such as M.D.K. Industries. The Shop was not above sacrificing these limbs of their organization if they posed a danger to hem. (Episode: Pay-Off)

Automated cannons were designed to serve as sentry posts for their various research facilities and acted as anti-personnel weapons. Such weapons were capable of being hacked but a high response time removed the compromised cannon allowing it to continue its mission. Scientists even stationed at the site were unable to shutdown the cannon's as the system went automatic after it determined it was compromised. (Episode: Invisible Hand)

Shop technology was noted for being highly advanced and above that of other developments in other countries or agencies. They had their own satellite network with these consisting of non-registered Black Bird private satellites. These allowed them communication relays for their various operations and provided them global coverage. It allowed them to remotely control compromised technology such as vehicles that they were able to pilot from their facilities. (Episode: Til Death Do Us Part) They also made use of drones to track targets and enemies. (Episode: Wanted)

The list of technological achievements were many that included flawed cybernetic replacement limbs. (Episode: Brave New World) In time, they managed to improve the technology to create organically laced bio-prosthetics that allowed a person a complete. replacement limb. (Episode: Tipping Point) They had advanced implant technology that included a type of permanent communication device that was injected into the tympanic cavity with a remote access to headquarters allowing them to hear everything the user heard in their immediate environment. A hand held device was able to inject the device allowing the controller to track the implanted person and hear everything they heard during their activities. (Episode: Invisible Hand) These were subcutaneous comm devices that had their own specific frequencies. (Episode: Til Death Do Us Part) Such was the extent of their capabilities that with the right test subjects they could perfect replicas of existing individuals and sending them as sleeper agents whilst the original was abducted. This involved getting individuals with the right build whereupon they used a combination of surgery and mental programming to create the perfect duplicate allowing them to fool family and friends. (Episode: Dead or Alive) The process for turning a subject into a duplicate involved surgery that took three hours to complete. (Episode: Set-Up) When switching with a double, the original was kept alive for operational support. (Episode: Dead or Alive)

Among their latest developments included a nano-particle toxin in the fluid injected into subjects. It was a haemoplasmic nanotoxin where the particles were introduced into the bloodstream where it led to acute vascular degeneration whereby every blood vessel in the body exploded inside the subject. These were designed to the latest version of the older kill-chips with the purpose being the nanotoxin was simply injected into subjects with no surgery required whereupon they could be triggered by specific frequencies projected at the site allowing them to be done on a global level. A blue syringe served as the only antidote for the toxin that could be triggered remotely through satellite that projected a focus microwave frequency to activate the particles. It consisted of nanites that mimicked human cells with a micro-dose of toxin with outsiders being aware of their presence unless they knew of their existence. (Episode: Invisible Hand) Scientifically, they were a great achievement and remained dormant as they acted as human cells where they remained functional as long as the host lived until the toxins were released by a command signal. Once a signal was sent, a validation response was returned in order to confirm the order. A host that was inactive for twenty minutes led to the nanocells being killed in the process. (Episode: Til Death Do Us Part)

Members

 * Heidecker : a male representative that sold their technology to clients who was killed by Nikita and Michael in Kosovo after learning he was abducting children for experiments. (Episode: Brave New World)
 * Stirling : a male agent in President's Secret Service bodyguards who was part of the plot to frame Nikita for the death of Spencer but was killed by Nikita. (Episode: Til Death Do Us Part)
 * Smith : a male agent who wore shooting glasses who was seen by Nikita where she attempted to track him down and later was responsible for the plot against Maryam Hassan but was killed by Nikita. (Episode: Invisible Hand)
 * Dr. Loren Tolcher : a male biologist recruited by the Hand to create a nano-toxin for their needs and part of Cobalt River Facility in Michigan who was killed when exposed to the nano-particle in order to prevent him from revealing more to Nikita after he was captured by her. (Episode: Invisible Hand)
 * Phillip Jones : a male high ranking leader of the Shop who also masqueraded publically as a rich businessman who was the CFO of M.D.K. Industries. (Episode: Pay-Off)

Appearances

 * Nikita: "Brave New World"
 * Nikita: "Tipping Point"
 * Nikita: "Invisible Hand"