Starring: Richard Dean Anderson as Col. Jack O'Neill Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson Amanda Tapping as Capt. Samantha Carter Christopher Judge as Teal'c Don S. Davis as Gen. George Hammond Guest Stars: Teryl Rothery, Suanne Braun, Tom Butler, Samantha Ferris Story by: Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright Teleplay by: Jonathan Glassner Transcribed by: Amanda Ohlin Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights whatsoever to the TV show "Stargate SG-1." That show and all related indicia are copyright MGM/UA and Showtime Inc. This is not a novelization or a script. It's a straight and mostly dry transcript of the second season episode "Out of Mind." It also includes descriptions of action scenes, camera angles, and blocking that I felt were necessary. The format of this transcript is not original; it was blatantly ripped off of AleXander Thompson's excellent transcripts of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." But I did get permission to use it. As for the arrangement of acts - since there are no commercial interruptions, I guessed. :) I did try to transcribe the dialogue from this episode accurately. If you see any errors or corrections, feel free to e-mail me and I'll update as time and Real Life permits. rev 1.25.00 This episode was originally broadcast on March 12, 1999. Copyright (c) 1999-2000 Amanda Ohlin. * * * Fade in on a smoke-filled pool. Out of the smoke, suspended by cables, rises a cylindrical tank, the contents obscured by fogged glass. The tank is lifted over the railing to rest in front of a sprawling console. Behind it stands a dark-haired woman in a white uniform, who is guiding the tank's trajectory. As the tank is securely locked in place, camera cuts to a man in his forties, wearing an unfamiliar military uniform. Man: Begin cryo-reversal. Pan up to the woman at the console. Woman: Beginning reversal. She slides up a control lever, checks the readout screen, and types at the keyboard with one hand while moving a circular control with the other. Cut to a readout screen, which reads "BRAIN ACTIVITY: INCREASING." Woman: Chamber opening. As the uniformed man watches, the top lid of the cryogenic chamber slides back to reveal an unconscious O'Neill. He opens his eyes and lets out a choked gasp, but can't manage to speak. The woman hurries over while an assistant takes the console. Woman: It's okay, Colonel O'Neill. You're in the SGC. (checks his pupillary reaction) You're going to be fine. (checking pulse) No, don't try to speak, Colonel. Give it some time. The uniformed man comes up beside her. Man: Welcome back to the land of the living, Colonel. I'm Major-General Trofsky, this is Dr. Raleigh. Raleigh: Maybe we can try to answer some of the questions that are weighing heavily on your mind. Trofsky: First of all, I regret to inform you that everyone on your team - Dr. Daniel Jackson, Capt. Samantha Carter, and the Jaffa named Teal'c - are all deceased. Raleigh: As a matter of fact, I imagine everyone you knew is probably gone now. Trofsky: You see, Colonel, the year is now 2077. Camera zooms in on a very confused O'Neill. Fade out. Opening credits roll. Main theme plays. * * * SGC Medical Lab. Camera pans up over the railing as Trofsky, Raleigh, and an assistant are leaning over the console in the background, Raleigh tapping away. O'Neill is lying in the foreground. Cut to close-up of O'Neill, who is unconscious again with a couple of tubes hooked up to an apparatus in his shoulder. He opens his eyes again, slightly more alert than before. Cut back to the console. Raleigh: How are you feeling, Colonel? She moves to stand beside the bed again, as does Trofsky. O'Neill: Just confused. Trofsky: Understandable. You've been in cryogenic hibernation for almost 79 years. O'Neill: (reaches up to touch the tubes) How? Raleigh: That's a good question, Colonel. We were hoping you could tell us. She turns and walks back to the console, leaving Trofsky to explain. Trofsky: You were sent back through the Stargate already frozen. We're guessing by some advanced culture. Your CO at the time, a General Hammond, and a Dr. Fraiser, felt that to thaw you without the proper technology would probably kill you. They put you in a deep freeze until such time as the technology was developed to safely revive you. Raleigh: Colonel, do you have any idea what happened to you on that planet? O'Neill: No, ma'am. (to Trofsky) General... I'd prefer not to answer any more questions. Walk around a little, get my bearings. Trofsky: Of course. Good idea, actually. I'd be happy to show you the rest of the facility. (to Raleigh) You can disconnect him from these machines for a limited time, can't you, Doctor? Raleigh: About an hour or so. But he needs the rheumatic infusion in order for his tissues to recover properly. Trofsky: I'll have him back in less than an hour. (He disconnects the tubes from O'Neill's shoulder.) * * * Cut to corridor in the SGC proper. A voice speaks over intercom. Intercom: SG-14, debriefing in five minutes. Level 6. Trofsky and O'Neill come around the corner. O'Neill is wearing an SGC uniform, still camouflage, with a slightly different design than the uniforms circa 1999. They stop in the middle of the corridor as O'Neill glances around. Trofsky: Hasn't changed much? O'Neill: There's no place like home. A white-suited assistant comes up to Trofsky and hands him something. Trofsky takes the data pad and signs it. O'Neill moves away, still taking in his surroundings. O'Neill: How many SG teams are there? Trofsky: (handing back the pad) 28 here on Earth, another 10 occupying offworld colonies. O'Neill: So we finally did that, huh? Colonized other planets? Trofsky: (catching up to him) Affirmative. O'Neill: General - what happened to my team? Trofsky: They didn't make it. O'Neill: I got that. They didn't make it back through the Gate, didn't survive the thawing process, what? Trofsky: They were sent back... but they were already dead. I'm sorry, Colonel. It was a long time ago. O'Neill: Maybe for you. He turns and walks down the ramp. Trofsky sighs and follows. * * * Cut to the Gate embarkation room. The door slides open for O'Neill and Trofsky. No one else is there. O'Neill looks around and wanders up the ramp towards the Stargate as Trofsky speaks behind him. Trofsky: So, Colonel. Do you have any recollection of what happened on your last mission? O'Neill: I wish I did, sir. I remember intel suggesting that the planet we were going to was ruled by a Goa'uld. But I don't remember anything after we stepped through that gate. Trofsky: Can you think of any reason why the Goa'uld might have saved your life? Sent you back? O'Neill: Certainly not their M.O. Trofsky: We feel whoever did help you was able to beat back the Goa'uld in order to do so. We'd love to know who could do that. O'Neill: So would I, sir. Trofsky: We have a new technology that might help you remember. We'd like to give it a try... if you feel up to it. The door slides open to admit a pair of SG team members, suited up to go. Intercom: SG team 2, prepare for embarkation. Trofsky nods at the team members, then turns back to O'Neill expectantly. O'Neill finally turns to face him. O'Neill: Sure. Trofsky: We'd like to get started right away. Our outpost planets are at war with the Goa'uld, and, uh - He pauses, glancing at the team preparing behind him. Trofsky: - frankly, we're losing. O'Neill frowns and looks down at the floor. Trofsky: I'm hoping whoever helped you 79 years ago can help us now. Grimacing, O'Neill turns and walks down the ramp. Cut to the medical lab. An assistant hands Dr. Raleigh a black box with five small cylinders in it. Raleigh: The technology was given to us by the Tok'ra. O'Neill: We're still friends with them, huh? Trofsky: Oh, yes. It's been quite a beneficial alliance. O'Neill: Just not much help in the outpost colonies, I take it? Trofsky: No. Raleigh reaches up and presses one of the cylinders against O'Neill's temple. There is a sharp hiss, and O'Neill jerks back. O'Neill: Ow! What was that? Raleigh: It's okay, Colonel, it's in. That's all the pain you'll feel. O'Neill: (reaches up to touch it) What a shame. She pulls his hand away, waving a small tool over the device to calibrate it, then attaches a thin wire to the device. Raleigh: As the Tok'ra explain it, this device stimulates the memory centers of your mind and then amplifies it. (She guides him to lie down on the table) Sort of like a capacitor for thoughts. And when it's hooked up to this device here, it projects what the mind's eye is seeing holographically. She goes back to the console as Trofsky moves to the foot of the bed. O'Neill: Beautiful. Raleigh: Now all you have to do is focus your thoughts and... guide the right memories to the surface. O'Neill: How do I do that? Raleigh: We'll lead you through it. It's kind of like a... high-tech version of hypnosis. We've introduced a very light sedative through those tubes, and you should be feeling the effects now. O'Neill: Oh, yeah. Raleigh: Great. Let's get going. Start by concentrating on what race or culture you can think of from your travels that might have the technology to - defeat the Goa'uld and cryogenically suspend you. O'Neill: The Nox did. Raleigh: Okay, the Nox. Were they medically advanced? Behind Trofsky, a holographic "screen" slides into existence: first the vertical frame slides up, then the horizontal. Cut to O'Neill. O'Neill: They could revive their dead. Cut to the screen. An image appears, a scene from the episode "The Nox." We see the Nox performing the ritual over Nafrayu and fading into visibility. Trofsky: They could make themselves invisible? O'Neill: Not just themselves. Cut back to screen. Antaeus and Nafrayu are standing with SG-1. Antaeus: Before you go, O'Neill, there is something I should have you see. He waves a hand, and we cut to full-screen flashback as SG-1 turns to see a high-tech, futuristic floating city appear in the sky behind them. Antaeus: Fear not. Cut to landscape image of SG-1 and the Nox standing on the hill looking at the city in the distance. The Stargate appears beside them. Cut back to the lab. Raleigh: Colonel O'Neill, was it the Nox who sent you here? O'Neill: I don't remember. Raleigh: Well, they had the technology to make themselves invisible. Could be a very powerful weapon against the Goa'uld, could it not? O'Neill: Probably. But they'd never use it in that manner. The Nox wouldn't even fight in self-defense. Trofsky: Can you think of anyone else who could have defeated the Goa'uld? O'Neill: The Asgard. Cut to full-screen flashback, scene from "Thor's Chariot." SG-1 is standing in a field, and O'Neill is turning away. Daniel nudges him, and he turns back around. Cut to the three Goa'uld ships sitting on the hill. Above them, the clouds are darkening and shifting as something breaks through the cloud cover above them. Cut back to SG-1. O'Neill removes his sunglasses. O'Neill: Oh, my. Cut back to the Goa'uld ships as a massive spaceship emerges from the clouds. Daniel: Ladies and gentlemen, I think this is... Thor's chariot. Teal'c: An Asgard mothership. I have heard them described in Jaffa legend. Behind them, the Jaffa guards begin to back away. It is to no avail, because seconds later, a white beam sweeps over them and they vanish. O'Neill turns to see that the Asgard ship is emitting the beam, which courses over the ships and the valley below, sweeping up Jaffa and Goa'uld alike. Teal'c is not targeted. Soon, the Goa'uld and even their ships are gone, and the Asgard ship lifts back into the clouds. Cut back to the lab. Dr. Raleigh and Trofsky exchange looks. Cut back to the screen, which now shows a scene from "The Fifth Race." We see a Stargate opening and O'Neill falling through, landing not-so- gracefully at the bottom of several steps. Full-screen flashback. As O'Neill sits up, the camera pans up to show two Asgard standing in front of him. Cut to a wide-angle shot of a long white corridor, where a number of Asgard are milling about. Cut back to O'Neill, who recovers from his surprise. O'Neill: You're the Asgard. Thor's race. Right? Asgard #1: You have heard of us. O'Neill: Nothing but good things. Asgard #1: We have studied your race closely. O'Neill: What did you learn? Asgard #2: That your race has great potential. O'Neill: Great potential. That's good. Asgard #1: Understand this. There was once an alliance of four great races in the galaxy - the Asgard, the Nox... O'Neill: Met them. Asgard #1: ...the Furlings... O'Neill: Don't know them. Asgard #1: ...and the Ancients, the builders of the Stargates. O'Neill: That's a pretty heavy group. Asgard #1: Your race has much to prove before we can interact on that level. O'Neill: Look, you all seem to be quite wonderful... people. You folks should understand that we're out there now. We might not be ready for a lot of this stuff, but we're doing the best we can. One of the Asgard extends a hand. After a pause, O'Neill takes it and gets to his feet. Asgard #2: You have already taken the first step towards becoming the fifth race. Close-up on O'Neill, in the medical lab. O'Neill: They're part of a - an alliance. Full-screen flashback, from "The Torment of Tantalus." Katherine, Ernest Littlefield, and SG-1 are standing in a circular room with gray stone walls and five columns protruding from the stone, each covered with lettering of a different language. An object in the center of the room is covered by a tarp. Ernest pulls iit back to reveal a power source, which begins to glow. Around the chamber, the columns light up, the lettering illuminated in the stone. O'Neill: What is this place? For answer, Ernest hands Daniel his journal, opening it to a page and indicating a place to start. Daniel: (reading) 'I believe this room was some sort of meeting place where four alien races, denoted by the symbols and distinctive writing on the wall, gathered, possibly to share knowledge or discuss relations like a United Nations of the stars. Katherine agrees.' Katherine: You're right. I would have. O'Neill: (looking at the power source) This looks familiar. Ernest: Touch it. O'Neill does so, and a bright beam of light shoots up from the rounded top. O'Neill jumps back. O'Neill: Wow! Above them, a series of floating globes appear, in a multitude of colors, sizes, and combinations. Katherine: It's beautiful! O'Neill: Daniel? Does this mean anything to you? Daniel: Well, if this was a mecca of sorts, an alien United Nations, this has to mean something. O'Neill points at one of the groups of spheres. O'Neill: I know this. Katherine: Of course! High school chemistry. Daniel: One proton, one electron - hydrogen. Katherine: Beryllium. Sodium. Ernest: Silver. Iron. Barium. Xenon. Daniel: Of course! How do you ensure universal communication? You reduce the method of communication to the most basic elements of everyone and everything that exists in the universe. Jack, this is a true universal language. Cut back to the lab. O'Neill suddenly jolts. The screen starts flashing incoherently, and alarms go off. Dr. Raleigh hurries to his side and disconnects the wire. The screen fades out and the alarm goes quiet. Raleigh: He's had enough. Let's let him rest. Trofsky: Thank you, Colonel. Good work. Raleigh presses a few buttons, and a blue liquid begins to run through the clear tube attached to O'Neill's shoulder. Trofsky: We'll resume later. (He and Raleigh exit the lab.) * * * In another SGC corridor, Trofsky and Dr. Raleigh enter another chamber. It's a repeat of the opening scene, with another cryogenic chamber being lifted from a pool of smoke. The assistants guide it onto the platform, and Dr. Raleigh goes through the motions on the console. The lid opens to reveal Daniel Jackson, who gasps and opens his eyes, disoriented and confused. Trofsky: It's okay, Dr. Jackson. You're in the SGC. You're going to be fine. * * * Repeat of the same procedure with another cryogenic tank. As Dr. Raleigh guides it to the platform, Trofsky speaks. Trofsky: This one has naquid in her system, so keep her a little more dosed. The procedure continues, only this time, the tank opens to reveal Capt. Carter, already awake and coughing violently. Dr. Raleigh checks her pulse, pupil reactions, et cetera. Trofsky: It's okay, Dr. Carter. You're in the SGC. You're going to be fine. Carter: SG-1? Raleigh: I'm afraid they didn't make it. I'm sorry. Carter only manages to moan at that. * * * SGC Medical Lab. Fade in on the readout monitor, with the words "BRAIN ACTIVITY: INCREASING" flashing. The camera pulls back to show Carter sitting up in bed, covering herself with the blanket and fingering the memory device in her temple. Raleigh: How does that feel, Captain? Carter: Aah! It hurts a little. Raleigh: Well, it's important that we know who would have the technology to do this. Carter: Why? Raleigh: Because, Captain Carter, anyone with that kind of technology would be a valuable ally against Apophis. Carter: Apophis? Isn't he dead? Dr. Raleigh glances up sharply, hesitating. Raleigh: Well, of course he is. We're merely trying to stimulate the region of your memory that involves doing battle with the Goa'uld. It might help us in our current battles. Carter: Okay, well, we did fight the Goa'uld a lot. Raleigh: Tell me how you defeated Apophis. The screen rises up, showing scenes from "Within the Serpent's Grasp" and "The Serpent's Lair." Carter: Well, we gated to what we thought was their home base, but we ended up on a Goa'uld mothership. Cut to full-screen flashback. SG-1 is in the cargo hold of the ship. Daniel: A sarcophagus. O'Neill: Oh, great. More snake heads. Teal'c, any idea which one's in here? Teal'c does not answer, and stares out the window. Carter and Daniel follow his gaze. O'Neill: Teal'c? Carter: We're not on a planet, are we? Teal'c: That is correct. Cut to a view of the window over their shoulders, where a star field and light streaks that indicate hyperspace travel can be seen. Camera cuts back to face the team. Teal'c: It appears we are on a Goa'uld transport vessel. Carter: And that jolt was - Teal'c: Hyperlaunch. Cut back to the view of the window. Cut to the SGC lab, where Carter pauses, remembering. Flashback again, this time a view of one of the corridors of the Goa'uld mothership as a group of serpent guards march past. Cut to Carter and Daniel, hiding between the partitions, and back to a shot of the corridor as the remainder of the guards pass. When they are gone, Carter leans out of the hiding place, checking to see if it's clear. She turns and heads in the direction the guards went, and Daniel follows. Cut to another corridor. The guards march toward and then past the camera before Carter peers around the corner, gun at the ready. She and Daniel slip around the corner, and we see that Daniel is carrying a pistol. The view shifts to their perspective, the glider bay where the serpent guards are climbing into their respective Death Gliders. Cut to Dr. Raleigh, who watches with interest. Flashback. O'Neill and Bra'tac are leaning over a railing on the ship and looking down. Teal'c and Carter join them. Bra'tac: Shield generators are far below. Cut to a shot of the shield generators far below them. Bra'tac: There, in the very bowels of the ship. Cut back to Bra'tac and O'Neill. As Bra'tac speaks, O'Neill reaches inside his vest. Bra'tac: We'll climb down several decks, through the length of the ship. Then, taking our weapons, we must - He breaks off as O'Neill pulls out a grenade, pulls the pin, and drops both over the railing. Cut to a view above and behind SG-1 as the shield generators explode. Cut back to the lab, as Carter remembers something else. Flashback, in the glider bay of the Goa'uld mothership. We see Teal'c and Carter being lifted into a Death Glider, with Teal'c in the pilot's seat. Bra'tac and O'Neill are in the one beside it, and the Gliders close up with their passengers inside. Exterior shot of the ship. Cut to the C4 explosive attached to some part of the ship, and zoom in as the timer reaches 1 minute and 13 seconds. Cut to the bridge, where Apophis, realizing what is about to happen, activates the transporter to allow himself and Klorel to escape. Cut back to the timer. 29 seconds are left. Cut to exterior shot of the ship again. Cut to the glider bay, where the two "borrowed" Death Gliders are being lowered for launch. Cut to O'Neill and Bra'tac's Glider, with Bra'tac piloting and O'Neill in the back seat. O'Neill: Our time is up. We have got to go! Cut to Carter and Teal'c, then O'Neill and Bra'tac, as the two Gliders are launched out of the ship. A second later, the two ships explode, the force of the blast knocking the Gliders off course. Neither of the Gliders are caught in the blast, however. Back to the SGC lab. Raleigh: Very impressive, Captain. The end of Apophis. Carter: Well, the beginning of the end, yes. His forces were so weakened that another Goa'uld eventually got him. Cut to Trofsky, who is questioning Daniel in much the same way. Trofsky: So if it wasn't Apophis, what other Goa'uld could it be? Daniel: Well, there seems to be a lot of them. As he remembers, the screen reforms behind him. Daniel: So-kar. Cut to a flashback from "Serpent's Song." So-kar has projected an image of a face using a concentrated particle beam onto the iris, in order to communicate. So-kar: People of the Tau'ri. Cut to reaction shots from above the embarkation room, then back to the closed Gate. So-kar: You have taken what is mine. For this you will be destroyed. Back to the lab. Daniel: Heru-ur. Flashback again, from the episode "Secrets." Jack, having just come through the Gate on Abydos, opens fire on Heru-ur. The bullets bounce off of the Goa'uld's energy field harmlessly. Heru-ur: You dare challenge me? He opens his hand, aiming the ribbon device at O'Neill. O'Neill pulls a knife from his belt. O'Neill: I was thinking about it! With that, he throws the knife, which penetrates the field and stabs right through the ribbon device - and Heru-ur's hand - causing the device to short-circuit. Heru-ur: You will pay for this insolence! Cut back to Daniel, remembering. Daniel: And then of course, there was Hathor. She almost succeeded in doing some pretty big damage. Cut to flashback from "Hathor," with Hathor speaking to O'Neill. Hathor: We must praise you, and gift you a great honor. O'Neill: Yeah, I'm sure that would be just great, but not right - He breaks off as she parts her lips to release a wisp of pinkish gas, which O'Neill unwittingly breathes in. Instead of finishing his sentence, he can only stand there, entranced, as Hathor opens his shirt to reveal his bare chest. After a moment of appraisal, she steps back and removes her wrap to reveal a glowing orange stone placed over her navel. Stepping to embrace him, she presses the stone against his midsection, causing it to glow with an even fiercer light. As she does so, O'Neill slumps against her, suddenly drained. Hathor: Do not worry yourself. O'Neill's face contorts in pain, but he cannot break away. Hathor: You will enjoy the rich rewards that will come of what we are giving you. You will cherish the good health and long life that goes with being... The pain becomes too much for O'Neill, and he lurches back, falling against the wall. Hathor: (in Goa'uld tone) Hathor's first new Jaffa. O'Neill looks down, and the camera pans down to show the criss-cross incision of the opening of a Jaffa's pouch newly made in his stomach. Cut back to Daniel, as he remembers something else. Another flashback from "Hathor." Hathor is sitting in a steaming tub of water swarming with hundreds of Goa'uld larvae, immersed up to the waist. Daniel, still under her spell, kneels beside the tub. She has abandoned using a "normal" human voice and speaks in the tone of a Goa'uld. Hathor: We demand that the woman you call Carter be brought before us so that we may gain retribution. Camera pans back to show that two armed soldiers are guarding them. Daniel: Captain Carter does deserve to be punished, my queen, but she does not know what she is doing. I beg of you to show mercy. Meanwhile, Col. O'Neill, completely healed and in control of his senses, creeps around the corner from one of the side entrances. Carter appears at another entrance. Both are out of sight of Hathor. Hathor: She deserves no mercy from us. Carter crouches, getting ready. Hathor: She will make amends with her death. Carter and O'Neill exchange glances, and O'Neill nods. They stand up at the same time and open fire at the guards, nailing them with tranquilizer darts. They collapse, leaving Hathor and Daniel unguarded. Carter: I don't think so. Hathor opens her hand, firing the ribbon device at Carter. The shockwave knocks Carter off her feet, sending her flying backwards into a wall. Hathor turns to O'Neill, who suddenly looks unsure of what to do. Hathor: You have failed us, our love. You will not fail us again. With that, her eyes glow white, and she lifts the ribbon device, aiming it at a stunned O'Neill. But before she can use it, Carter gets to her feet, pistol in hand, and starts firing repeatedly at Hathor. Most of the shots bounce off metal, but Hathor slumps anyway, sinking beneath the surface of the pool. A reddish glow appears beneath the surface, and suddenly flames ignite on the surface of the liquid, covering the pool with a blanket of fire. The larvae are being boiled to death. Daniel: NO!! A few larvae, caught on fire, spill out of the tub, twitching and wiggling on the floor as they are burnt. Carter and O'Neill pick up their weapons and rush to save the unconscious guards. O'Neill: Get these airmen out of here! Daniel, let's go! Move it! He manages to pick one soldier up by the collar and drag him out of range of the fire. Daniel remains standing in front of the flaming tub, stock-still, unmoving. Cut back to the lab. The memory ends, and the screen dissolves. Trofsky: What's wrong? Daniel: Nothing. I just - I really need to know exactly what happened to my friends. Trofsky: As I said, they were sent back through the Gate. They were already dead. That's all I know. Daniel: What about General Hammond? Trofsky: I'm happy to report he lived to a ripe old age of 93. Daniel: So... everyone I ever knew basically is gone. Trofsky: I'm afraid so. Daniel looks dismayed at this news. * * * Close-up of Teal'c, lying unconscious on a medical bed. He opens his eyes and looks around, confused. Dr. Fraiser: It's okay! It's okay! Cut to Dr. Fraiser - it really is her - standing beside his bed. Fraiser: You're in the SGC, Teal'c. We pan back from the bed to see that Teal'c is lying in the sickbay of SGC, present-day. General Hammond and Dr. Fraiser are standing at his bedside. Hammond: Good to have you back, Teal'c. Teal'c: General Hammond. Abruptly, he sits up, stricken as he recalls prior events. Fraiser: Easy! Easy! Teal'c: Where are the rest of SG-1? Hammond: Good question. We were hoping you could tell us. Close-up on Teal'c. From the look on his face, he doesn't seem to know. * * * Cheyenne Mountain Complex, present day. Cut to sickbay, where Teal'c has finished dressing and picks up his jacket from the bed. Hammond: When you didn't return, we sent SG teams 3 and 7 after you. We found you lying next to the Stargate, but no trace of Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter, and Dr. Jackson. As Hammond speaks, Teal'c puts on his jacket, a look of grim determination on his face. Hammond: We assumed they were captured. Fraiser: You have no memory of this, Teal'c? Teal'c: I do. It was a mixture of Horus and Serpent Guards. A very unusual combination. Hammond: Serving what Goa'uld? Teal'c: That I do not know. General Hammond, I will return to the planet immediately to search for the answers. He moves past Hammond purposefully at that. Hammond: Can't let you do that, Teal'c. Teal'c stops in his tracks at those words, and turns, confused. Teal'c: General Hammond, I will not remain idle while my friends may be in danger on this planet. Fraiser: Teal'c, you've been unconscious for three weeks. Teal'c: That is not possible. My symbiote would have awakened me long before the period of three weeks. Dr. Fraiser shakes her head at that. Fraiser: You were barely alive, Teal'c. You had substantial internal injuries. Hammond: Dr. Fraiser spent most of the three weeks at your side. It was her refusal to give up that kept you alive. Teal'c bows his head in deference to the doctor. Teal'c: I am in your debt, Dr. Fraiser. General Hammond, permit me to return to this planet to search for my friends. Hammond and Fraiser exchange worried looks. Teal'c: If their bodies were not found by my side, then they are prisoners. Hammond: If they're prisoners, they're long gone from that planet. We sent out UAV's, balloons, our best rescue teams... and found nothing but scorched earth. There was no trace of them. They could be moved to any Goa'uld stronghold. You'd be searching for a needle in a very large haystack. Teal'c: Perhaps. But I must try. He turns away, but the General follows. Hammond: Teal'c! I understand your desire to do something, anything, for SG-1. I feel the same way. But I cannot expend any more resources on this. I'm sorry. Request denied. Teal'c: If the people of the Tau'ri have given up hope on SG-1, then it is with great regret that I must leave this world and return to my people. Hammond: You mean you want to leave the SGC? Teal'c: That is correct. Hammond: I can't let you do that, Teal'c. I won't let you. Teal'c: General Hammond. I hereby respectfully inform you that I must take my leave of the SGC. (removing his jacket) Therefore, I am no longer under your command. He lets the jacket fall to the floor, and starts to walk away, but Hammond blocks his path. Hammond: I can't allow you to do that. You're too great a security risk. Teal'c: General Hammond, I would die before willingly divulging any information pertaining to this world. You know that. Hammond: Yes, I do. Teal'c: I will depart in one hour. He turns and walks past Hammond, leaving sickbay. Helplessly, Fraiser and Hammond watch him go. * * * The "future" SGC medical lab. O'Neill is lying on his cot again, seemingly asleep. As the camera pans down, however, we see that the drugs are not getting into his system; he has looped the tube around and has it clenched in one fist, cutting off the flow of the drug. He opens his eyes as someone speaks nearby. Voice: Tel ma qui. Mak tel'ah! Cut to the entrance, where Trofsky and Raleigh are speaking in a completely alien language - which sounds suspiciously familiar. Raleigh: Rok cri no, mak'tau! With that, Trofsky turns and hurries down the hall, with Raleigh right behind him. But O'Neill has heard all that he needs to. The orderly, unaware that the patient is awake, makes some notes on a clipboard and taps at a console, turning his back to O'Neill. Slowly, O'Neill reaches up and disconnects the tubes sticking into his shoulder. He winces as they come out, but there is no other noise and the orderly does not notice. O'Neill sets the apparatus on his chest, close to where it would be if it were still connected. He starts coughing a bit, just enough for the orderly to hurry over to check. Seeing that the tubes are disconnected, he reaches to hook O'Neill back up - only to have the patient grab his head and knock it against the table. Unconscious, the orderly slumps to the floor, and O'Neill rolls off the table. Throwing the wires away in disgust, he starts to remove the unconscious man's uniform. * * * SGC, present day. In the Gate embarkation room, the Stargate is being dialed out. Camera pans across the room and down the ramp. Intercom: Chevron 4, engaged. Camera reaches the entrance, which slides open to reveal Teal'c, carrying his staff weapon and wearing a long robe. General Hammond is already there, waiting for him. The soldiers in the Gate Room stand at attention. Soldier: Ten-hut! Intercom: Chevron 5, engaged. Teal'c moves to stand before General Hammond. Hammond: Teal'c, you will be missed. Teal'c: I have learned much from you, General Hammond. And I thank you. He bows his head respectfully. Intercom: Chevron 6, engaged. Hammond: I've learned a lot from you, too, Teal'c. So we're even on that account. Intercom: Chevron 7 is locked. Hammond: Take care of yourself. In the background, we hear the sound of the wormhole opening. In a gesture of respect, Teal'c makes a fist with his right hand and lays it over his left breast. Hammond, in turn, salutes him, and all the soldiers assembled follow suit. Teal'c lifts his hand up to salute as well. Breaking the salute, Teal'c nods to Hammond, turning and walking up the ramp. When he reaches the wormhole, he stops for a few moments, then steps through. The wormhole fades out, and the soldiers stand there, looking at the now dormant Stargate. Hammond: At ease. He turns and walks away. * * * Cut to the "future" SGC. O'Neill, still pulling on the last of the orderly's uniform, stumbles around a corner. He passes through several corridors unseen and unmolested - he is the only one roaming the halls. Reaching into a pocket of the uniform, he pulls out a keycard and slides it through the access slot beside the elevator. The elevator doors slide open, and O'Neill steps through - and stops short. Instead of the gray steel of the back wall, he finds himself staring at a pair of heavy bronze double doors. As the elevator doors slide shut behind him, O'Neill pockets the keycard and approaches the double doors. They slide open at his touch to reveal the interior of a Goa'uld vessel. He steps out, taking in the similarities to Apophis' ship, and the doors slide shut behind him. A pair of guards in full battle armor appear down the hall, and O'Neill hurriedly ducks behind a pillar, moving around it as they do so as not to be seen. They pass him by unnoticed. He watches them go, and then heads the way they came. Another corner. A Serpent Guard heads down the hall, unaware that O'Neill is hiding behind a pillar. When the coast is clear, he makes his way again, but something triggers the memory device still in his temple. He nearly falls over in pain, catching himself against a pillar as the device lights up, triggering a flashback. Cut to a brief "The Serpent's Lair" flashback. O'Neill and Bra'tac are trading fire with a pair of Serpent Guards. It's over quickly, and O'Neill manages to get to his feet and approach a new set of double doors. They slide open to reveal another false elevator, identical to the last one. Stepping out of the elevator, O'Neill jogs down the corridor. After a few turns and a few steps, he reaches the fake medical bay where Carter is lying, being checked over by an orderly. While the orderly's back is turned, O'Neill sneaks into the room and picks up a heavy canister. He steps up behind the orderly and strikes him in the back of the head with it, causing the other to fall on top of Carter. O'Neill shoves him to the floor and tries to rouse Carter. O'Neill: (whispering) Carter? Carter. No response. Realizing she's probably doped up, O'Neill reaches over and disconnects the tubes. Carter stirs, blinks, and does a double take when she sees who's leaning over her. O'Neill: Carter. She grabs his arm and opens her mouth to speak, but O'Neill shakes his head and hushes her. Carter: (whispering) I thought you were dead. Suddenly, the memory screen reforms in the room. O'Neill turns to see a flashback from "Message in a Bottle." Flashback. One of the barbs from the device O'Neill and Teal'c have just set down shoots into the floor. The two men jump back, alarmed, as another metal barb shoots into the wall. Carter: Get out of there! Another barb flies out, narrowly missing Teal'c, who manages to dodge in time. O'Neill is not so lucky; the next barb pierces his shoulder with such force that it punches right through, pinning him up against the wall. O'Neill: Arrgh! Carter dashes into the room, followed by several other officers. Carter: Colonel! O'Neill lets out a strangled gasp. Carter: It goes right through his shoulder into the concrete. Back to the medical bay. O'Neill disconnects the wire attached to Carter's memory device, and the flashback ends. Carter: Whoa. O'Neill: (whispering) Yeah. These things have a nasty habit of going off when you least expect it. Try not to think too much. Carter: (whispering) They said - O'Neill: (whispering) They're Goa'uld, Carter. Carter: (whispering) Daniel? Teal'c? O'Neill: (whispering) Don't know yet. Think you can walk? Carter nods. She sits up halfway, still disoriented. Carter: (whispering) Drugs must have prevented me from sensing the naquid in them. There is a pause, and both of them are suddenly acutely aware that she's not wearing anything beneath the blanket. O'Neill glances at her bare back uncomfortably. O'Neill: (whispering) Trade clothes with that guy. * * * O'Neill and Carter, both wearing the stolen uniforms, come down the stairs and into the hallway, checking to see if there is anyone around. No one else is there. Carter: Sure looks like the SGC. Cut to the double doors leading off the fake elevator. They slide open, and Carter and O'Neill step into the corridor of the Goa'uld ship. Carter: Wow. This looks just like - O'Neill: Don't think about it! You'll set that thing off. He's too late, though, and she cries out as the memory device is triggered. O'Neill grabs her, putting a hand over her mouth and dragging her behind a pillar just in time to avoid being spotted by the guards who come down the hall at that moment. Leading them are Raleigh and Trofsky. They enter the fake elevator, and O'Neill takes his hand off Carter's mouth. Carter: Can't we take these things off? O'Neill: I don't know, you tell me. Mine's in pretty deep. Carter: Yeah. Pulling them out could cause some nasty collateral damage. O'Neill: Yeah, we don't want that. They pause for a moment, considering what this means, then turn and head down the hallway. Cut to yet another fake elevator. O'Neill and Carter step into yet another false SGC, identical to the other two. They move down the various corridors, only to find that everything is exactly the same. O'Neill: What the hell? Still perplexed, but following their knowledge of the layout, they proceed down the hallway out of the shot. * * * Close up of Daniel, unconscious on a medical table. O'Neill: Daniel. (nudging him) Daniel! Daniel stirs and blinks in surprise. Camera pans up to show Carter and O'Neill at his bedside. O'Neill is holding the tubes that were hooked into Daniel a moment ago. Daniel: (rubbing his forehead) I don't understand. They said - Carter: They're Goa'uld, Daniel. Daniel: What year is it? Carter: 1999, most likely. Daniel: So this is all a... hoax. O'Neill: Big hoax. I'd say so. Daniel: I have more questions, but that can wait. O'Neill: Yeah. Come on. They help Daniel sit up, and then the scene shifts to the corridor, a few minutes later. Daniel is wearing an SGC uniform. Carter and O'Neill check around corners for Goa'uld. Finding none, they hurry around the corner, and Carter opens a side door - only to find a blank wall behind it. O'Neill: Damn cost-cutting. Carter: This facade is obviously part of a bigger Goa'uld facility. Jack opens another door down the hall, only to find another blank wall. Carter: Complete with Horus and Serpent Guards. She checks a third door - same result. Daniel: What? Horus *and* Serpent? That's kind of an odd alliance, isn't it? * * * Cut to the door of the embarkation room. A buzzer sounds as the door slides open to admit O'Neill, who hurries up the ramp, followed by Carter. Daniel looks around curiously. I've never seen this place so deserted. Carter: Guess they figure they don't need to keep up the act if we're unconscious. O'Neill kicks at the Gate. O'Neill: It's fake. Daniel opens the weapons locker, only to find it's empty. He shuts it again, perplexed. Daniel: I don't understand. Who would have spent enough time on the base to be able to reproduce it in this kind of detail? Carter and O'Neill exchange looks, the truth beginning to dawn on them. Daniel: You don't think Apophis - Voice: Silence! A portion of the wall beyond the Stargate begins to ripple. Carter and O'Neill turn to see Hathor step from the rippling air. She strides past them down the ramp. O'Neill: Oh, I was *so* hoping never to see you again. The door behind Daniel opens, and he turns to see Trofsky walk in, armed with a zatnicatel. Raleigh enters from the other side, flanked by four Serpent and Horus Guards. Hathor stops at the bottom of the ramp, standing in front of Daniel. Hathor: We have indeed missed you, our beloved. She strokes his cheek possessively. Carter: Daniel, don't let her breathe on you. Hathor: Do you think that we would have gone to these lengths if you were not already immune to that poison? Carter turns and looks at O'Neill. O'Neill merely shrugs. Hathor: Do you like our guards? She moves behind Trofsky as she speaks, putting a hand on one of the guards' armored shoulders. Hathor: We managed to lure them from the remote outposts of our enemies. Daniel backs away a few steps. Hathor strokes the guard's armor, then paces back behind Trofsky as she speaks. Hathor: We are quietly building our forces before the System Lords even know that we are alive. But doing so is difficult when we have limited knowledge of the current state of the Empire. O'Neill: Let me take a guess. It's just a wild guess, but... that's where we come in, right? Carter: We know more than you do. Hathor: Perhaps. She turns away from the guards and strides up the ramp towards the three of them. Hathor: We are prepared to offer you a life of luxury as servants in our court in exchange for information. She passes Carter and Daniel, and stops at O'Neill. Hathor: Deny us, and you will not enjoy the alternative. O'Neill: You know... you really should something about the breath. She frowns, but does not rise to the bait. Hathor: How do we contact the Asgards so that we might ally with their forces? O'Neill: Try Roswell. Little place in New Mexico. Hathor glares at him, then, seeing that snide remarks are all she'll get out of O'Neill, moves to Carter, rubbing the remote beneath Carter's chin. Hathor: What are the secrets of numbers necessary to open the barricade protecting your Stargate? Carter merely looks at her, betraying nothing. Scowling, Hathor lowers the remote and turns away, walking down the ramp. Hathor: If you will not give us the information that we desire, we have other means of retrieving it. She snaps her fingers, and a Jaffa steps out from behind the guards. Hathor strokes his chest as she continues. Hathor: An opportunity has presented itself at a most fortuitous time. Turning so that they cannot see his pouch, she reaches into the Jaffa's pouch. He makes a face, but does not indicate pain in any other way. When Hathor turns to face SG-1 again, she holds a writhing, squeaking black serpent - a fully matured Goa'uld symbiote - up for the team to see. Hathor: Our friend here is ready for a host. She lowers her arm, smirking at the three humans. Hathor: Tell us... which one of you shall it be? Cut to Daniel, then Carter, then finally O'Neill. The caption we all knew was coming appears. TO BE CONTINUED... |