Echoes/Transcript

Episode Guide
SGA 3.12 "Echoes" Episode Guide

Transcript
PREVIOUSLY ON STARGATE ATLANTIS

Excerpts from 2.14 "Grace Under Pressure"

END EXCERPTS

TEASER

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS OCEAN, DAY

[A puddle jumper flies through the air.]

INT&mdash;PUDDLE JUMPER

[Sheppard flies Zelenka and Ronon back to Atlantis.]

SHEPPARD Well? How'd the camping go?

ZELENKA Oh, splendid. I was able to run several ground-penetrating radar tests. You know, to test the dielectric permittivity of the region's subsurface.

SHEPPARD (blankly) Sweet. (to Ronon) What about you? How was the hunting?

RONON (annoyed) If there was any game, it was all scared off by the noises his stupid machines made.

ZELENKA I said I was sorry. It was necessary for the tests.

SHEPPARD You're the one who volunteered to go.

RONON Well, if I do something like that again, shoot me.

ZELENKA (low, to Sheppard) He was like this all night, you know. Very agitated. Had me scared.

SHEPPARD He'll be alright. Get him home, get him a nice warm bath, a hot meal&hellip;

[Zelenka sits up and stares out the window.]

ZELENKA Oh, no.

SHEPPARD What?

ZELENKA Where's Atlantis? It should be right in front of us.

[There is only open ocean in front of them.]

SHEPPARD Well, why isn't it?

ZELENKA Uh, I-I don't know.

SHEPPARD Is it cloaked?

ZELENKA No, no, no. They would have radioed us about it.

RONON So what are you saying? We're lost?

ZELENKA Wait-wait-wait-wait. Adjust your heading forty degrees south.

[Sheppard complies.]

ZELENKA The navigation system is off.

SHEPPARD Why?

ZELENKA I-I don't know. It could be any of a number of reasons, you know&mdash;clock drift, the fluctuations in the magnetosphere from the sunspots&hellip;

SHEPPARD (pointing at the city in the distance) There it is.

[Zelenka says something in Czech]

SHEPPARD See? No harm, no foul.

[He looks back at Ronon, who still sulks.]

SHEPPARD You might wanna take Teyla up on her offer for meditation lessons. Looks like you could use a little unwinding&mdash;

RONON (sharply) Just land this thing!

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, NIGHT

INT&mdash;TEYLA'S PRACTICE ROOM

[Teyla sits cross-legged in the room. Ronon sits similarly behind her. Both have their eyes closed.]

TEYLA &hellip;And then slowly exhale, allowing each breath to cleanse you, restoring your body and spirit. Feel your mind clearing, open to all that surrounds you&hellip;Embrace the silence.

[Ronon snores loudly. Teyla's eyes snap open.]

TEYLA Ronon?

[She turns around, looking at Ronon, who continues snoring. She appears quite annoyed.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR, NEAR CREW QUARTERS ATRIUM

[Teyla heads down steps and into the corridor, lost in her own thoughts. She stops when she sees a woman in a long flowing gown walking towards her.]

[The woman looks directly at Teyla with an intense expression.]

LANTIAN WOMAN Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

TEYLA I'm sorry. I do not understand.

[The woman walks right through Teyla like a ghost. Teyla freezes in shock, then looks everywhere. Nothing is around her.]

END TEASER

OPENING CREDITS

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS GATE ROOM AND NEARBY CORRIDORS

[Weir heads out of the Gate Room. McKay catches up to her and they walk quickly through the corridors side by side.]

MCKAY Elizabeth. Did you get my e-mail?

WEIR (sighing) Which e-mail? One of the seven today, or one of the eighteen yesterday?

MCKAY I know, I'm being unusually persistent about this, but, uh, that should only underscore its importance, yes?

WEIR We cannot keep all three ZPMs from the Replicator takeover, Rodney. We get one. Now, I don't know how to make it any clearer for you.

MCKAY Well, I felt if I could just, um, outline the reasons for keeping them. You know&mdash;bullet point, very brief.

WEIR It was twenty-six pages!

MCKAY I know, but if we hope to, uh, persuade Stargate Command &hellip;

WEIR Okay, so tell me. Who would you deprive of the other ZPMs? The Antarctic outpost?

MCKAY Well, no, because they need it to power the chair to protect Earth.

WEIR Okay, how about the Odyssey, then? They're getting the other ZPM to help in their fight against the Ori. Rodney, we have enough power now to raise the shield, and cloak the city, and dial home. Please, can you start seeing the glass as half-full?

MCKAY (petulantly) Well, you mean one-third full.

WEIR (annoyed) No more e-mails.

[Weir turns away. McKay makes a face, then turns and walks away into the other direction.]

INT&mdash;TEYLA'S PRACTICE ROOM

[Ronon and Teyla spar with the sticks. Teyla presses her advantage and hits Ronon hard with her body, twice. He struggles to stand up straight.]

TEYLA I am sorry. You weren't expecting that?

[Ronon grimaces as Teyla smiles broadly, having gotten her revenge.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR NEAR CREW QUARTERS ATRIUM

[Workout over, Teyla and Ronon walk down the steps. Both are chuckling.]

RONON I was tired. It a long day.

TEYLA Hmm.

RONON To be honest, I &hellip;

TEYLA (interrupting) You don't care much for meditation.

RONON Never could sit still long enough for it.

TEYLA All the more reason for you to consider&hellip;

[She stops and stares down the corridor, frightened. The woman has returned, exactly as before. Ronon looks at Teyla in concern. He sees nothing in corridor.]

RONON What is it?

LANTEAN WOMAN Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

TEYLA That woman.

RONON What&hellip;woman?

LANTEAN WOMAN Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

[Teyla moves quickly as if to get out of someone's way. Ronon still sees nothing, and Teyla notes it. Teyla starts to follow the woman. They reach the end of a passageway. The door opens to reveal a heavily burned man stumbling out. Teyla jumps back with a cry, startled. Ronon grabs her.]

RONON Hey, hey&mdash;what's wrong?

[Teyla looks around but there is now nothing there: no burned man, no open door.]

RONON What?

EXT&mdash;BALCONY, DAY

[McKay looks out at the ocean with binoculars. He doesn't notice Sheppard come onto the balcony behind him.]

MCKAY Huh!

[McKay puts down his binoculars, eventually realizing Sheppard is there.]

MCKAY Hey. How long have you been standing there?

SHEPPARD Hour or so.

MCKAY What?! Why didn't you say anything? I feel like a&hellip;Oh. It's the kidding.

SHEPPARD What did you wanna show me?

[He hands his binoculars to Sheppard, who looks through them.]

MCKAY Right there.

[He looks where McKay indicates and only sees ocean.]

SHEPPARD Wow!

MCKAY (pleased) Hmm!

SHEPPARD All that&hellip;water!

MCKAY (rolling his eyes) Just wait for it.

[Sheppard sees a whale breach the surface.]

MCKAY It's my friend. He's back.

[Rodney and Sheppard smile at the site.]

INT&mdash;INFIRMARY

[Beckett scans Teyla. Ronon and Weir are nearby.]

BECKETT The scan's clean. No sign of any physical abnormality.

RONON Yeah, we've seen devices that mess with people's minds &mdash; caused them to hallucinate things.

BECKETT Aye, but they've always had corresponding neural activity to indicate a problem. No, I'm afraid, for the moment anyway, there doesn't appear to be any physiological reasons for her hallucinations.

WEIR Then why did she see what she saw?

BECKETT I don't quite know.

TEYLA Many Ancestors died here recently. During the Replicator invasion, the crew of the Tria were all murdered. Perhaps they attempted to ascend but were prevented from fully doing so&mdash;trapped between this plane of existence and&hellip;the next.

WEIR You mean ghosts?

RONON You ask me, it's too much meditation.

[Teyla glares at Ronon.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Weir and Sheppard walk down the corridor.]

SHEPPARD Is she gonna be okay?

WEIR I don't know. Hopefully she just needs some rest. We've all been through quite a lot&mdash;

[McKay exits a corridor and spots the pair approaching.]

MCKAY There you are.

WEIR Rodney, I told you&mdash;

MCKAY Oh, no, not you. I mean Sheppard.

WEIR (insulted) Thank you.

MCKAY Oh, I mean, not that I don't wanna talk to you. Well, you can be a part of this conversation. In fact, I think you'll probably find it every bit as interesting as&mdash;

SHEPPARD (interrupting) What are you saying?

[McKay holds up the display on his tablet computer showing a marine animal species.]

MCKAY Check it out. Found it in the Ancient database. They have a whole subsection on indigenous Lantean animal life. Did you know that there was a lobster-like crustacean down there the size of a Buick?

WEIR Hmm! And&hellip;what is that?

SHEPPARD That's Rodney's whale friend.

MCKAY Ah, but not actually a whale. Whale-like, but not a mammal. It's a fish. It's a big, big fish.

SHEPPARD Did the Ancients have a name for it?

MCKAY Yeah. Flagecallus. I know, they were terrible at naming things. I-I've just, um, I've just called it "whale" for now.

WEIR And why are you studying this?

MCKAY Oh, 'cause he's out there right now, circling the city. Sheppard and I saw him. Probably the very same whale that saved me last year when I was trapped in that submerged jumper.

SHEPPARD I thought Zelenka and I saved you?

MCKAY Well, you did&hellip;technically, but only after Sam led you to me.

WEIR Sam?

MCKAY Uh, it's the whale. I named him &mdash; after Sam&hellip;antha Carter. It's personal reasons.

SHEPPARD You named him after Samantha Carter?

MCKAY (defensively) Well, Sam's a boy's name too.

[Sheppard bites back further retort.]

WEIR And how do you know he's a "he"?

MCKAY Oh, because I cross-referenced the renderings in the database with the whale outside and, you'll see the males have a rather prominent&hellip;

[He starts bringing up another display on his tablet.]

WEIR (interrupting and looking away) Oh, it's okay, never mind. I'll take your word for it. I trust this little diversion isn't actually cutting into your work time?

MCKAY Oh, no, no. No, of course not. No-no, I-I'm just, um, dabbling in my free time.

WEIR All right, then, boys, dabble away!

[Sheppard smiles at the whole exchange. Weir slaps Rodney on the arm and walks away. After a moment, Sheppard and McKay continue walking.]

SHEPPARD So, these, uh, whales. Did the Ancients say they're good eating?

MCKAY Oh, you wouldn't!

SHEPPARD I would.

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, NIGHT

INT&mdash;TEYLA'S QUARTERS

[Teyla gets into bed. She hears the strange voices again. She gets up.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Teyla walks out into the corridor, once again spotting the woman in the white dress, who clearly looks afraid. She follows.]

TEYLA Hello?

[The woman continues walking swiftly through the corridor. Teyla hurries to catch up.]

TEYLA Wait!

[Teyla slows down as she realizes the woman is once again reaching a doorway. Again, it opens and the burned man stumbles out. The woman grabs to catch him from falling, then turns to Teyla, as if pleading for help.]

LANTEAN WOMAN Screams Ancient in a distorted voice.

[Teyla claps her hands over her ears from the high pitched screams.]

INT&mdash;HEIGHTMEYER'S OFFICE

[Teyla meets with Heightmeyer.]

HEIGHTMEYER You don't understand what the woman is saying?

TEYLA No. I believe she is speaking in the Ancestral tongue.

HEIGHTMEYER Mmm. You said she's afraid? Of the burned man?

TEYLA No. It is my sense that she's trying to&hellip;help him. Whatever it is she fears, I do not know.

HEIGHTMEYER Did you try to talk to her?

TEYLA Yes, but she seems unaware of me. It is as if I'm&hellip;not even there.

HEIGHTMEYER If these are apparitions, why do you think they're appearing to you?

[Teyla shakes her head in ignorance, then chuckles.]

TEYLA Too much meditation.

[Heightmeyer looks confused.]

TEYLA (shaking her head) Something Ronon said to me.

HEIGHTMEYER Oh. Well, there are those who believe that meditation is a way of opening a door to the spiritual world.

TEYLA If these are Ancestors trapped between planes of existence, perhaps they are trying to communicate something to me. Maybe they believe I can help them to move on.

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Heightmeyer walks with Weir.]

HEIGHTMEYER I don't know why she's experiencing these visions, but she's always been one to shoulder a lot of emotional responsibility. She may be carrying some guilt over what happened to the Ancients here recently.

WEIR Well, why? It certainly wasn't her fault.

HEIGHTMEYER No, no, of course not, but somewhere deep inside her she may somehow feel complicit in the actions that led up to their murders.

WEIR Hmm.

HEIGHTMEYER I'll continue working with her and see if I can sort things out.

WEIR Okay. I'll make sure she gets some rest, even if it means taking her off the next mission.

HEIGHTMEYER Ugh, she does seem tired. She hasn't been sleeping well, and the last few days she's been complaining of headaches.

WEIR Huh, Doctor Beckett gave her a clean bill of health.

HEIGHTMEYER Well, we'll just keep an eye on her. Hopefully it'll all pass.

WEIR Let's hope so. Thank you.

[Heightmeyer walks away. Weir goes to a doorway and passes her hand over the control to open it. The door opens and the burned man stands before her. Weir jumps, startled, looking around to see if anyone else also notices it. When she turns back, the burned man has disappeared.]

LATER

[Along a different corridor, Heightmeyer, Teyla, and Weir walk together.]

HEIGHTMEYER So now both of you are seeing them? Why do you suppose that is?

WEIR Well, that's why we've come to you.

TEYLA Perhaps they believe that appearing to two people will increase the chance their message will be heard.

WEIR If in fact, they are trying to communicate something to us&hellip;

HEIGHTMEYER Or maybe it's just the power of suggestion. It's been documented that when one person sees a ghost, it won't be long before others around them see it too. You said it yourself. You've all been through a lot recently. When's the last time you took a day off?

[Weir and Teyla both sigh and exchange looks.]

HEIGHTMEYER Exactly. Have you seen any more apparitions?

TEYLA Not recently.

HEIGHTMEYER How are the headaches?

TEYLA Still have them.

HEIGHTMEYER Have you been able to sleep?

[Teyla shakes her head negatively.]

HEIGHTMEYER Perhaps Doctor Beckett can prescribe something for you. (glancing at Weir) For both of you.

INT&mdash;MCKAY'S LAB

[Sheppard joins McKay in his lab.]

MCKAY Ah. There you are. You are not gonna believe this. I've been monitoring Sam on the underwater scanner.

SHEPPARD Stop calling him that.

MCKAY Why?

SHEPPARD It's creepy!

MCKAY No it's not. Look, here he is, circling the city. He's been doing it for a while. Won't leave.

SHEPPARD You didn't feed him, did you?

MCKAY No! Look, now if I widen the scan&hellip;

[He does so. A sonar image shows two creatures outside the original range.]

SHEPPARD Another whale.

MCKAY Yeah. Probably the mother.

SHEPPARD That guy's the size of a football field!

MCKAY A Canadian football field.

SHEPPARD So the first one was a baby.

MCKAY Yeah.

SHEPPARD Hey, wanna take a closer look?

MCKAY Uh&hellip;

[Sheppard rushes out, and McKay follows.]

INT&mdash;JUMPER BAY

[Sheppard enters a jumper to find Zelenka already inside, running a diagnostic.]

SHEPPARD Oh, Radek. Didn't know anyone was here.

ZELENKA Do you need to use the jumper?

SHEPPARD Yeah. Gonna check out some whales. Rodney's on his way. He's just taking some Dramamine but, uh&hellip;yeah, we can take another jumper.

ZELENKA Oh-oh, just be careful. I'm not too sure if I've fixed the navigational glitch. Uh, the other jumpers might be affected as well.

SHEPPARD Well, we won't go far. We'll stay within sight of the city. Plus you'll be tracking us from the Control Room.

[Sheppard leaves to find another jumper.]

ZELENKA (calling after him) I will? Oh, yes, yes, I will. Did you say whales?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Beckett takes some medicine out of the cabinet and turns to a waiting Weir and Teyla.]

BECKETT These should help, but don't take them until you can have at least eight hours of uninterrupted rest.

WEIR Huh! Around here?! When does that ever happen?

BECKETT Well, both Doctor Heightmeyer and I think you should take the time to make it happen.

WEIR All right. Thank you, Carson.

TEYLA Thank you.

[Teyla and Weir leave. Beckett sits at his desk, then hears a strange sound. He turns and spots several people working on a patient under bright lights.]

[Beckett gets up and approaches. The patient sits up. It is the heavily burned man, crying out something alien and clearly in agony. Beckett blinks, and the medical personnel and patient are gone. There are just several made up gurneys, showing no one has been near.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS OCEAN, DAY

[A puddle jumper flies low, then hovers to slowly sink into the ocean.]

INT&mdash;PUDDLE JUMPER

[McKay looks around the jumper worriedly. Sheppard notices.]

SHEPPARD You all right?

MCKAY Yeah, I'm fine. I just never feel safe in these things underwater.

SHEPPARD (skeptically) In space you're okay?

MCKAY Yeah, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?

SHEPPARD (into radio) Zelenka, you there?

ZELENKA (over radio) I'm here. Hello!

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

ZELENKA Uh, the whales are deeper now, less than a kilometer from you in your&hellip;two o'clock position.

INT&mdash;PUDDLE JUMPER

[McKay activates the HUD.]

MCKAY Well, there they are. We should have a visual on them any moment now.

[He deactivates the HUD. Eventually they spot a whale in the distance.]

MCKAY There's Sam.

[Another, much larger whale appears out of the murky depths near "Sam."]

MCKAY &hellip; and there's Mama.

SHEPPARD We need to get a closer look.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Ronon walks around a corner.]

LANTEAN FEMALE SCIENTIST Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

[Ronon turns around. Where nothing but a plant was before, now there is a computer station with strange symbols on the monitor. In front of the computer are two scientists, dressed in white pant outfits and speaking in the same strange tongue Teyla heard. They are speaking to each with great urgency.]

LANTEAN MALE SCIENTIST Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

LANTEAN FEMALE SCIENTIST (frantically) Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

[Teyla approaches from behind.]

TEYLA (cautiously) Ronon? You saw them too?

[A disturbed Ronon turns to look at Teyla, then turns back. The scientists and the computer are now gone.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS OCEAN, UNDERWATER

[The puddle jumper continues to travel deeper underwater.]

INT&mdash;PUDDLEJUMPER

MCKAY All right, not too close now, okay? We still have no idea what these things eat.

[McKay turns and notices Sheppard wincing in pain, running his hand over his eyes.]

MCKAY What? What is it?

SHEPPARD Nothing. I just got a headache all of a sudden.

MCKAY Oh.

[They look back at the window. Nothing but water can be seen.]

MCKAY Where'd they go?

SHEPPARD I don't know.

[Suddenly, the water can be heard shifting and a large shape comes right in front of them. One of the whales has drawn much closer. Part of his head and eye completely fill the view-screen.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

ZELENKA Oh! They're right in front of you.

INT&mdash;PUDDLE JUMPER

SHEPPARD Yeah! Well we're aware of that!

[Sheppard looks over to see McKay clutching his head.]

SHEPPARD What's wrong?

MCKAY (breathing erratically) It's, uh&hellip;now my head's hurting too.

SHEPPARD All right. That's not a coincidence.

MCKAY I don't think so.

SHEPPARD I'm pulling back.

MCKAY (shakily) Good idea.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

ZELENKA Perhaps it's the whales' echo location mechanism. It's creating uncomfortable vibrations which are&hellip;are coming&mdash;

INT&mdash;PUDDLEJUMPER

[Sheppard is piloting the Jumper away.]

MCKAY (interrupting, annoyed) Yes, Radek. We are moving away. Try to keep up, okay?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

ZELENKA Oh my.

SHEPPARD (over radio) Oh my, what?

ZELENKA Uh, uh, uh, I'm detecting several more whales.

MCKAY How many more?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Zelenka's screen shows a pod of whale-shaped objects approaching Atlantis, the puddlejumper, and the two whales.]

ZELENKA Uh, dozens more. They're still several kilometers away from you, but they're heading towards you.

INT&mdash;PUDDLEJUMPER

[Sheppard and McKay exchange worried looks. Sheppard does a double-take.]

SHEPPARD (concerned) Rodney?

MCKAY (weakly) What?

[McKay's nose is bleeding.]

SHEPPARD Your nose is bleeding.

[McKay wipes at his nose and sees his hand covered in blood.]

MCKAY Oh!

[He tilts his head back and pinches his nose to stop the bleeding.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONFERENCE ROOM

[Teyla, Ronon, Beckett, Weir, and Heightmeyer are standing in the midst of a discussion.]

HEIGHTMEYER (puzzled) Now you're all seeing them?

WEIR We just got word that other people in the city are starting to see them, too.

BECKETT Some see the burned man, others see the Ancient woman, and a few such as Ronon here see what appear to be scientists.

RONON There's something definitely going on around here.

WEIR In every sighting, two things remain constant. All of the apparitions are Ancients, and they all seem pretty worried.

TEYLA It is as if they are trying to warn us about something.

ZELENKA (over radio) Doctor Weir?

WEIR (keying headset) Yes, Radek?

ZELENKA You'd better come to the Control Room. Right away.

WEIR Be right there.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

WEIR What's their status?

ZELENKA They're moving away from the whales. Hopefully that will alleviate their pain.

WEIR (keying radio) John, this is Elizabeth. How are you holding up?

INT&mdash;PUDDLEJUMPER

[McKay's nose has stopped bleeding, but he still looks very ill.]

SHEPPARD Other than feeling like my head's about to explode, I'm fine.

[One of the whales swims directly in front of them.]

MCKAY I thought we were moving away from them?

SHEPPARD I'm trying to, but they're cutting us off.

MCKAY (in pain and frustration) Ohhh!

WEIR (over radio) What happened?

SHEPPARD The whales are getting way too close.

[McKay moans and pitches forward, unconscious.]

SHEPPARD Crap!

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

WEIR John, what's going on there?

INT&mdash;PUDDLEJUMPER

SHEPPARD Rodney's passed out. His ears are bleeding. We've gotta get out of the water.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

WEIR Medical team to Jumper Bay. (into radio) John, are you all right?

INT&mdash;PUDDLEJUMPER

[Sheppard winces, putting his hand to the side of his face. He notices as he pulls his hand away that his ear is bleeding too.]

WEIR (over radio, more urgently) John?

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS OCEAN, DAY

[The puddle jumper bursts out of the water at high speed, flying straight up.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

SHEPPARD (over radio) We're out of the water. Rodney's in trouble. Have a medical team ready.

WEIR (into radio) Already done.

[Weir looks over at Zelenka's screen. The whales continue to approach Atlantis, and there are even more of them, perhaps dozens.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, NIGHT

INT&mdash;INFIRMARY

[McKay and Sheppard are both in hospital scrubs, lying on adjacent beds. Nearby, Zelenka and Weir talk to Beckett.]

BECKETT Their eardrums have been perforated.

WEIR How?

ZELENKA The whales are emitting an intense low-frequency pulse, like-like a sonar, as well as an EM field. The combination is very dangerous to humans, particularly in such close proximity.

MCKAY (shouting) It's the whales!

BECKETT (to Weir) Hearing's been impaired. It should heal soon.

MCKAY (shouting) It's their echo location. It's creating very powerful vibrations. The closer we got, the worse it became.

ZELENKA (shouting, to Rodney) Yes-yes, Rodney, we know!

MCKAY Oh!

[Everyone reacts to Rodney's shouting except Sheppard.]

SHEPPARD (shouting) What?

BECKETT (to Weir) They should rest.

WEIR Agreed. (loudly to Sheppard and McKay) I'll come back.

[She leaves. Sheppard and McKay look puzzled but remain where they are.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[The screen shows more pods headed toward the city.]

ZELENKA The whales are approaching from every direction. It appears that they're&hellip;converging on Atlantis.

WEIR We're their destination.

ZELENKA Yes. It appears so. The signals they emit are their way of communicating with each other. Unfortunately, the closer they get to the city, the more it may affect the people living here.

RONON Even above the waterline?

TEYLA We are already being affected. Several of us are experiencing headaches&mdash;not as severe as Doctor McKay or Colonel Sheppard, but if these whales get any closer &hellip;

WEIR Turn on the shield.

ZELENKA Aye.

TEYLA These apparitions we've been seeing&mdash;if they are indeed trying to warn us of something, perhaps this is it. I first saw the Ancient woman at the same time Rodney saw the first whale.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Weir walks down a crowded corridor, making notes on a tablet computer. The Lantean woman who appears to Teyla starts walking towards Weir.]

LANTEAN WOMAN Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

[Only Weir has noticed the woman, who continues walking past Weir, oblivious to all.]

LANTEAN WOMAN Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

[Weir turns, watching the woman go by, then turns back around as she notices two guards looking at her strangely.]

INT&mdash;INFIRMARY

SHEPPARD (only slightly louder than normal) Pain's goin' away. I think my hearing's getting better too. What about you?

[McKay does not appear to hear Sheppard. He continues busily working on his tablet computer.]

SHEPPARD (louder again) Rodney?

[McKay remains oblivious.]

SHEPPARD Canadian Football League's a joke.

[McKay continues to press buttons on his computer.]

SHEPPARD Celine Dion is overrated. (just short of shouting) Zelenka is smarter than you are!

MCKAY (still oblivious, shouting) Hey! I found mention of a bio-lab in the database! Ancient scientists used it to study animal life. We should check it out!

SHEPPARD (frustrated) Okay&hellip;Meredith.

[In another area of the infirmary, Beckett and other medical staff are treating several patients. Weir enters.]

WEIR How's it going?

BECKETT More people are falling ill: headaches, nosebleeds. I'm giving everyone painkillers. Hopefully buy us some time until we figure out how to stop this.

WEIR And how are you feeling?

BECKETT Eh, my head's throbbing a wee bit, but I'll manage. You?

WEIR I'm fine.

BECKETT All right. Here. Painkillers, just in case.

[He hands her some packets of pills.]

WEIR Thank you. I hope it doesn't get &hellip; (spots fully dressed McKay and Sheppard exiting) Hey, hey! What's this?

BECKETT Well, that's a damned good question. Who said you could get out of bed?

SHEPPARD (loudly) We're feeling a lot better.

BECKETT (loudly) Well, I beg to differ. Back to bed, the pair of you.

MCKAY (shouting) Yeah, we need to check out a lab.

WEIR (shouting) What lab?

MCKAY (loudly) It's a bio-lab. It turned up in my whale research.

SHEPPARD (loudly) It's in, uh, one of the flooded areas of the city.

MCKAY (continuing) Formerly flooded. With the area finally repaired, we're now able to access it. According to the database, the Ancient biologists used it to study animal life on the planet. Look, there may be some more information stored there.

SHEPPARD (loudly) Such as, uh, how to tell these whales how to get the hell outta here.

MCKAY (loudly) But we won't know that for sure until I can have a look at it.

[Weir and Beckett exchange looks.]

BECKETT All right.

[He gestures they can leave.]

MCKAY Ah.

[They depart.]

TECHNICIAN (over radio) Doctor Weir?

WEIR (keying comm) Go ahead.

TECHNICIAN Daedalus just arrived in orbit. They're requesting permission to beam people down.

[Weir sighs and looks at Beckett.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[Daedalus sits in orbit above Atlantis.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL What do you mean, no?

WEIR (over radio) I'm afraid things down here might get a lot worse before they get any better. It's probably safer for you to stay up there until we can sort this problem out.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Teyla walks down a stairwell, nervously looking about. After turning a corner, she spots the Lantean woman approaching.]

LANTEAN WOMAN Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

TEYLA I'm sorry. I do not understand.

[She cringes as the woman passes, a strange high pitched sound heard. Clutching her ears, Teyla turns around again to find the two scientists and computer terminal Ronon previously saw. A high pitched whine underlies their words.]

MALE LANTEAN SCIENTIST Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

[Teyla tries to open a door to escape. It opens to reveal the burned man who cries out in an echoing low pitched whine. Teyla falls backward, nose bleeding. She opens her eyes to find Ronon bending over her, reaching out his hand.]

RONON Come on. Gotta get you to the infirmary.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Sheppard and McKay walk down a mostly dark corridor. McKay studying his tablet. He comes to an abrupt halt and hold up his fist in a military gesture for "halt". Sheppard raises his eyebrows in surprise, then scowls and knocks down McKay's hand. Oblivious, McKay points to a door to their left.]

MCKAY (loudly) This is it!

[Sheppard, still scowling, walks around McKay and enters, McKay following.]

INT&mdash;LAB

MCKAY (in normal voice) All right. Let's see.

[McKay starts activating the display. A variety of unintelligible sound frequencies are being monitored.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL Did you put up the shield?

WEIR (over comms) Yes, but it only extends so far, and the whales' signals seem to be able to penetrate it.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

ZELENKA Well, we might be able to manage it if there were only a few dozen whales, but we're talking hundreds now. And they're swimming closer as we speak.

[His display shows the same.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

WEIR (over comms) Doctor McKay is checking out an Ancient bio-lab. Hopefully, there'll be some information there that could lead us to a solution.

CALDWELL And if there isn't?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

WEIR Well, we'll have to consider evacuating Atlantis until the whales leave.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL Supposing they don't leave?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

WEIR What are you suggesting, Colonel?

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL You've got plenty of drones in your arsenal.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

WEIR You're saying we should kill them?

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL Before they kill you.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[McKay and Sheppard enter.]

MCKAY They're not trying to kill us. It's quite the opposite. I think they're trying to help us.

WEIR Help us?

MCKAY Come on. You should see this.

[McKay grabs a laptop and some other equipment and starts to leave again.]

ZELENKA Mmm. I see your hearing has improved.

MCKAY What?

[Zelenka shakes his head and gestures McKay to lead them out.]

MCKAY (to Weir) What is he&hellip;?

INT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB

MCKAY It's like a receiver calibrated to the specific frequencies on which the whales communicate.

SHEPPARD The Ancients designed it to study whales, so they could learn about their songs.

MCKAY They were studying the whales' language, trying to assign frequencies to emotions and identify moods.

SHEPPARD All sorts of tree-huggy stuff. Tell 'em about the ghosts.

MCKAY Ah. Not ghosts&mdash;image projections. There appears to be a causal relationship with the whales. They may very well be what's been projecting the images to us, and this receiver should, from what I can tell so far, be able to interpret them.

SHEPPARD Seems like we've been going about this backwards. The ghosts aren't warning us about the whales.

ZELENKA They're not?

MCKAY No. No, it seems the whales may be using the images to warn us.

WEIR About what?

MCKAY Ah, well, that, uh&hellip;that I don't know yet.

SHEPPARD But, judging from the way this machine is freaking out, it can't be good.

INT&mdash;INFIRMARY

[Patients are now confined to the floor and chairs, the infirmary is so overcrowded. Beckett checks on a few.]

BECKETT (to one of his staff) All right?

[He continues to Teyla's bed.]

BECKETT How are you faring?

[Teyla looks over and watches a Lantean medical team working on the burned man.]

TEYLA I keep seeing them.

BECKETT Aye.

[Beckett looks in the opposite direction and sees a similar vision.]

BECKETT Me too.

[Weir enters. She looks ill.]

WEIR I just spoke with Colonel Caldwell. The Daedalus infirmary is ready to beam up the sickest of the patients.

BECKETT Good. Teyla should be amongst the first to go.

TEYLA No. I'm staying.

BECKETT You're far too sick, dear.

[She stares at the vision, noting a patch with Ancient writing on the man's sleeve.]

TEYLA (to herself) He is a pilot. (to Weir and Beckett) The burned man. I just noticed his uniform. He is an Ancient pilot.

[Carson looks ready to fall over.]

WEIR Carson!

BECKETT Aye?

WEIR Your nose.

[Beckett touches his nose, it comes away with some blood.]

BECKETT Oh, bloody hell. Excuse me.

[He leaves.]

INT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB

[Weir enters. Sheppard watches McKay work.]

WEIR How's he doing?

SHEPPARD I don't know. He's taking a while. A lot longer than he usually takes.

MCKAY He can hear you, you know!

SHEPPARD Yeah. We know.

MCKAY Okay, let's have a listen.

[He presses some keys.]

LANTIAN WOMAN (over recording) Speaks Ancient in a distorted voice.

SHEPPARD Who's that?

WEIR The woman. The Ancient woman. That's her voice, I'm sure of it.

SHEPPARD She's speaking Ancient?

WEIR No. I-I mean, it doesn't sound like the language. The phonetic rhythm is similar, but I don't recognize any of the words.

MCKAY That's because it's gibberish. Well, to be more accurate, it's an attempt at mimicry. Look, it turns out the receiver is also a transmitter. The Ancients weren't just trying to learn the whales' language; they were attempting to teach them theirs by sending them auditory and visual signals. And while they were doing that, they experienced a traumatic moment which the whales then stored in their genetic memory.

WEIR And that's what the images we've been seeing are?

MCKAY Exactly. Reruns. Now, unfortunately, these whales are several generations removed from the incident, so they're, um, finding the language a bit of a tough go. It's kind of like trying to sing the lyrics to the macarena. You can sound out the words, but you have no idea what you're singing.

WEIR Okay, so this traumatic event, I'm assuming it's the war against the Wraith.

MCKAY That would be my assumption as well, yes.

WEIR And, what? The whales are trying to warn us that it might happen again?

MCKAY I don't know. Possibly.

SHEPPARD So what? The Wraith might attack. Tell us something we don't know.

MCKAY Ah. Interesting thing is, the Ancients seemed to be aware of the whales' deficient mimicry skills, and so they incorporated a kind of, um&hellip;acoustic language filter into the receiver. That's what's been taking me so long to figure out.

SHEPPARD Well, did you figure it out?

MCKAY Well, let's have a listen, shall we?

[Similar gibberish comes through the speaker.]

SHEPPARD Guess the answer's no.

MCKAY Well, just hang on, hang on. If I, um&hellip;

[McKay touches some more keys.]

LANTIAN WOMAN Speaks more clear Ancient.

WEIR Hey, wait a minute. Play that back again.

LANTIAN WOMAN Speaks more clear Ancient.

WEIR (smiling) This is Ancient. At least, I can make out a few of the words now.

MCKAY Ha!

WEIR "Incursus". Something was attacked, or overtaken.

MCKAY Meaning Atlantis.

WEIR No, I don't think so. "Adaris"?

SHEPPARD What's "Adaris"?

WEIR I don't know.

INT&mdash;CONTROL ROOM

[Zelenka reports to Weir. They are both in the control room.]

ZELENKA They've arrived &mdash; hundreds of them.

[The following conversation switches back and forth between the control room and Daedalus bridge.]

CALDWELL (over radio) Doctor Weir.

WEIR Go ahead, Colonel.

CALDWELL The sick patients have been beamed up. Our infirmary's filled.

WEIR Thank you. Unfortunately, more people are falling ill down here, so it's not really making much of a dent.

CALDWELL Listen, whether these creatures are trying to communicate with you or not, at some point you're gonna have to deal with them. If they don't leave&hellip;

WEIR I'm sure there are options besides killing them.

[McKay and Sheppard rush in.]

WEIR (to Sheppard and McKay) What's wrong?

SHEPPARD We figured it out.

MCKAY Well, actually, I did most of the figuring, but, uh &hellip;

SHEPPARD Adaris is a ship we found in the Ancient database.

MCKAY It's an Ancient science vessel. About, uh, fifteen thousand years ago, it ran into some trouble. The entire crew was killed except for the pilot.

WEIR The burned man. Teyla noticed the uniform. He was an Ancient pilot.

MCKAY Which would explain the burns.

ZELENKA What does?

SHEPPARD The ship got hit by a blast of radiation from the sun.

MCKAY It's a coronal mass ejection on a scale that dwarfs anything our sun has ever emitted. Apparently the sun in this solar system goes through an unusually turbulent sunspot cycle every fifteen thousand years or so. The Ancients have records of this class of CME occurring twice before.

SHEPPARD The ship was very close to the sun when it happened.

MCKAY It's a massive prominence. It arced up and then collapsed when the magnetic field surrounding it weakened. We're talking an intense proton stream traveling at over four thousand kilometers per second.

SHEPPARD Most of the crew was killed instantly but the pilot managed to open up a hyperspace window just as they were hit. He flew the ship back here, jumping ahead of the radiation wave just in time to warn everyone.

MCKAY And the Ancients were able to raise the shield and extend it far enough to protect a large portion of the planet from the blast.

WEIR So what are you telling me? This is going to happen soon?

MCKAY Not soon. It's happening right now.

[McKay shows his laptop screen indicating the sun has already had a giant flare.]

INT&mdash;INFIRMARY

[Ronon comes to Teyla's bedside, pulling up a stool.]

RONON How're you doing?

TEYLA (weakly) I have felt better.

RONON You need any more pain medicine?

TEYLA No. It does not seem to help any more.

RONON Well, just hang on. You're gonna be fine.

[Teyla keeps her eyes closed.]

RONON Teyla? Look at me.Look at me. You gotta hold on. Gotta teach me those, uh, meditation lessons.

[Teyla chuckles slightly.]

TEYLA You are hopeless.

RONON (grinning) Yeah. I know.

[Teyla passes out.]

RONON Teyla? Nurse.

[A nurse approaches.]

INT&mdash;CONTROL ROOM

MCKAY The magnetic field around it is already beginning to weaken. When that prominence collapses, the coronal mass ejection will occur. It'll erupt from a very small area &mdash; a mere pinprick in comparison to the total sun's surface. But it'll immediately begin to fan out. Within a few million miles, the blast wave will cut a swath wide enough to take out this entire planet.

SHEPPARD How much time do we have?

ZELENKA The prominence will collapse any moment now. After that, we have less than an hour before the radiation wave hits us.

WEIR Why didn't we notice this before?

MCKAY Well, because these things happen very quickly.

ZELENKA This kind of sunspot cycle is extremely chaotic, im-impossible to predict. No doubt that's what caused the glitch in the jumper's navigational systems.

MCKAY Not to mention our focus was on attack from the Wraith, not the sun.

WEIR Yet the whales were aware this was happening.

MCKAY Well, a lot of animals: whales, dolphins &hellip;

ZELENKA Pigeons.

MCKAY &hellip;are affected by the tiniest anomalies in the magnetosphere. It's as if their, uh, internal compasses are somehow, eh&hellip;Pigeons?!

ZELENKA Yeah, homing pigeons. Er, I used to raise them before coming here. We used to consult solar charts before our pigeon races.

MCKAY Pigeon races?

WEIR Rodney.

MCKAY Well, it's still somewhat of a mystery how they're able to sense this trouble, but they do, often well before we do.

SHEPPARD Whatever. What are our options?

MCKAY Well, the Ancients were able to raise the shield and stretch it wide enough to protect a significant portion of the planet&mdash;attenuated, to be sure, more of a thin bubble&mdash;but it was able to, uh, block out enough of the radiation.

ZELENKA That's interesting, because we have found evidence of mass extinction on other parts of the planet.

MCKAY Wow! Well, now we know what caused it.

WEIR Okay, so our shield is already activated. What else?

MCKAY Ah. Small problem. The Ancients had three ZPMs at their disposal. We, as you know, only have one. Well, maybe I was so insistent on keeping them, because I too am able to sense trouble on the horizon.

SHEPPARD Just like a pigeon.

WEIR So, we just need to get the other two ZPMs back here&hellip;temporarily.

MCKAY (interrupting) Not enough time. Look, the Odyssey's away from Earth. In the time it would take them to return, the blast wave would almost certainly have hit us.

SHEPPARD So how far can we extend the shield with one ZPM?

ZELENKA Well, enough to cover the city and perhaps a little bit of the ocean surrounding it, but&hellip;

SHEPPARD We should evacuate, just to make sure.

MCKAY Yeah, we can't gate to Earth. Look, we need the ZPM's power for the shields.

SHEPPARD What about the Intergalactic Bridge?

MCKAY The midway station isn't completed yet. We'd need to ferry people by jumper. Again, no time.

SHEPPARD All right, well, we'll send everyone to the Alpha Site and pick 'em up when this is over.

MCKAY I don't think you understand. Look, the shield will protect the city from the initial blast, yes, but the entire ecosystem of this planet will be damaged beyond recovery for hundreds of years. Look, we're talking no plant life, which means no breathable air. We're&hellip;

[Weir faints, her ear bleeding.]

INT&mdash;INFIRMARY

[Sheppard carries Weir into the infirmary and places her on a gurney.]

SHEPPARD Beckett.

[He hurries over.]

BECKETT Elizabeth?

[He pulls out her headset, noticing her ear is bleeding.]

BECKETT Dammit.

[Sheppard sees them putting a blanket over one of the people. Beckett sees where he's looking.]

BECKETT Sergeant Bale. Developed an aneurysm from the pressure. First fatality.

[Sheppard walks over to Ronon and the unconscious Teyla.]

SHEPPARD How is she?

RONON Out of time.

SHEPPARD Guess we all are.

[He starts to leave.]

RONON Sheppard? You got a plan?

SHEPPARD (unconvincingly) Sure.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

ZELENKA Look at them. Seeking shelter underneath the umbrella of the city.

MCKAY No-no-no-no-no-no-no. We don't have nearly enough power. Look, we can extend the shield twenty kilometers beyond the city, maybe. But it'll be dangerously thin and there's no way of knowing whether we can sustain it, especially in a radiation blast of fifty thousand REM.

[Sheppard thinks quickly, getting an idea.]

SHEPPARD (keying radio) Colonel Caldwell, this is Sheppard.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL Go ahead, Colonel.

SHEPPARD (over radio) I think we have a plan.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

MCKAY We do?

INT&mdash;ZPM ROOM

[Sheppard and McKay are there. The ZPM is removed from its chamber.]

MCKAY (sighing) This is not a good plan.

SHEPPARD Sure it is.

MCKAY You realize just how close we'll have to get to the sun?

SHEPPARD Pretty damned close, I'm thinking.

[Sheppard pulls out a case with which to transport the ZPM.]

MCKAY No, suicidally close. I mean, we'll be toast.

SHEPPARD That's why we're taking the ZPM, to give the Daedalus's shield an extra boost.

MCKAY Okay, okay. You want to deflect the coronal mass ejection away from the planet.

SHEPPARD Ah. Like an umbrella.

[McKay starts drawing circles and lines on his tablet computer.]

MCKAY Okay, listen to me. This. This is the sun; and this. This is us. A bolt of energy unlike anything you could possibly comprehend is gonna shoot out of the photosphere at a tremendous velocity, Okay? It is immediately gonna start fanning out, like so.

SHEPPARD (impatiently) I know.

MCKAY Which means that we will have to be really close to the surface of the sun if we wanna intercept that stream and deflect it before it can start spreading out.

[Sheppard glances up from where he is working.]

SHEPPARD I know, Rodney!

MCKAY No, no, I don't think you do. I don't think you fully grasp the reality of just how damned hot it gets that close to the surface of the sun.

SHEPPARD That's why we're taking a ZPM&mdash;to strengthen the shields.

MCKAY From the blast wave, yes. But even with the shields at that strength, the-the build-up of residual heat behind it could cause serious problems for the Daedalus, and everyone inside it.

SHEPPARD "Could." Could cause.

MCKAY Okay. Tell me, if this is such a great plan, why didn't the Ancients do it?

SHEPPARD They were in the middle of a war! They probably didn't have a ship available at the time. And, like you said, they had three ZPMs.

ZELENKA (over radio) Rodney?

MCKAY (annoyed) What?

ZELENKA The prominence has begun collapsing.

SHEPPARD Colonel Caldwell, we're ready.

[They're beamed away.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[The Daedalus breaks orbit from Atlantis.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD GENERATOR ROOM

[McKay carefully works with the ZPM. The device is connected by wires to some other equipment, and Rodney moves around to make other connections.]

SHEPPARD (over radio) How's it going, Rodney?

MCKAY You know, this might look easy, but it's actually a little more complicated than just flipping a switch.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL Hurry up, please. We're there.

INT&mdash;SHIELD ROOM

[McKay opens a crystal chamber, but stops his work, distracted.]

MCKAY What? We are already?

CALDWELL (dryly, over radio) Didn't have far to go.

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[Daedalus approaches the sun.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL Position, Doctor. The shields are up. We need the extra power from that ZPM now.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY Yes, yes! I just need to &hellip;

[He glances at the monitor.]

MCKAY Oh no.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

SHEPPARD What?

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY The prominence is fully collapsing into the photosphere. Brace yourselves.

[McKay starts frantically typing on his tablet computer.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[The sun has a small implosion, and the emission bursts out of the result, heading straight into space.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

[Caldwell and the crew wince at the brightness heading directly for them.]

SHEPPARD Rodney?

INT&mdash;SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY ZPM is online.

[McKay stops typing and nervously watches the ZPM.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[The emission strikes the ''Daedalus shields, scattering to either side of the ship.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL How long will this last, Doctor?

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY Anywhere from a few seconds to several hours.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

SHEPPARD Hours?! You never said anything about hours!

CALDWELL We're building up serious heat behind the shield.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY I told you this wasn't a good plan!

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

RONON How are they doing?

ZELENKA Well, according to my calculations, the blast wave should have hit us by now, but I'm reading no discernible increase in radiation.

RONON (blankly) So they're doing good?

ZELENKA (smiling and nodding) Yes. So far, anyway.

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[The emission continues to batter against Daedalus's shield.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY Temperature inside the shield's rising too fast. And I'm already detecting several failed sensors on the bow.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL If this thing keeps going, the heat build-up could damage the hull.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY Not "could". It's already damaging it. We have a breach in the 302 Bay.

[An alarm sounds.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL (to crew member) Seal it off.

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[The ship shakes as the emission continues. Pieces of the ship break off against the strain.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY Another breach! Deck Four! We're venting atmosphere!

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

[The bridge crew and Sheppard continue to watch.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[The emission abruptly ends.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

[Caldwell and Sheppard look at each other.]

SHEPPARD Rodney?

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY It's over.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

SHEPPARD And we're not toast.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

MCKAY (elated) We're not toast!

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

SHEPPARD Good plan, huh?

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SHIELD ROOM

[McKay sighs in relief.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Zelenka, Sheppard and Weir look at a display. It shows only a few whales near the city, and they are swimming away.]

ZELENKA Most of them are gone now. They began dispersing almost immediately.

SHEPPARD Without so much as a thank you.

WEIR (loudly) No. Thank you!

[She walks away as Zelenka and Sheppard exchange looks.]

INT&mdash;TEYLA'S PRACTICE ROOM

[Teyla meditates. Ronon enters, crouching beside her. After a moment, she looks over and smiles.]

RONON How are you feeling?

TEYLA Much better.

RONON Walked the whole way over here, didn't see one ghost.

TEYLA (sighing in relief) Nor did I.

RONON Mind if I join you&mdash;

TEYLA (threateningly) If you fall asleep one more time &hellip;

[He walks over and grabs a large practice stick, handing it to her.]

RONON Hit me with that.

[She smiles as he settles next to her.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS BALCONY, DAY

[McKay smiles as he looks over the ocean, his hands in his pockets. Sheppard joins him; this time McKay immediately notices.]

SHEPPARD They're gone, Rodney.

MCKAY Not all of them. Look.

[He points out where a whale is breaching the water nearby.]

SHEPPARD Let me guess. Your buddy Sam.

MCKAY Mmph. I like to think so. I like to think he's saying goodbye.

SHEPPARD Makes sense. He saved your life, now you've saved his. Eh, you're even.

[He slaps McKay on the back and walks away. McKay continues to look at the ocean and smile.]

FADE OUT

END CREDITS

Transcribed for Solutions by Aurora Novarum, July 2008.

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