Brain Storm

"Brain Storm" is the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of Stargate Atlantis.

Summary
Running a last few tests for a presentation the next day, Malcolm Tunney stands in the control room of an Earth-located secret facility when an older guy - Kramer - walks in and confronts him about how his staff thinks it's reckless to go through with it. Tunney is very confident in his work, though, saying that, yes, of course things could go wrong but they won't and The Cause - which is involved in funding the project, if I read this correctly - is going to be very thrilled with everything.

Drs. Rodney McKay and Jennifer Keller are on the way to that very same presentation.

McKay *****es about the private jet his beloved rival sent to get them. Why? Well, it's just because the guy wants to rub it in, blah blah, blah. Keller thinks he should enjoy it no matter what, and hey, he tries. There is a limit to his goodwill, though, when they arrive at the secret facility and are asked to sign none disclosure and confidentially agreements. Again, Keller is the one to get him to cut back on the *****ing and just sign so they can go in.

Inside, the cocktail party is in full swing when the couple is standing on their own, having some snacks. Enter two of Rodney's past acquaintances - Ken and Steve - and, wow, it's so not love at first sight. Later, Rodney and Jennifer go snooping around, but the latter isn't too happy about that.

At the same time, Tunney and Kramer are made aware of the fact that they have a problem: they can't turn off the device. Or rather turning of the "space/time bridge" said device draws its power from. Since it's impossible to lower the shields with it still active, it leaves them all trapped in the building - and in danger of freezing to death. On top of that, Tunney believes that someone tampered with it.

Things turn from bad to worse, when the device gets a little out of control.

For once, KcKay and Tunney are in complete agreement and try to convince Kramer to make a call to the military, but the man doesn't want to listen. He doesn't want the government to shut down the project, being so close to a solution for global warming. They try to make the call anyway, only to find out that someone killed the phone lines.

Later on her quest to reach the SGC, something hits the hallway Keller is ind breaks her phone. Worse, she gets stuck - literally frozen in, as she tells Rodney over the radio. The scientist is in the control room of the facility with Tunney and Ken still trying to shut off the device. After discussion the situation over and over, McKay decides to go after Jennifer. He's lucky, but she's in pretty bad shape.

Back in the control room, the containment field around the building fails and the outside world is affected as well. Lightning strikes, tornados, dust storms, etc. are the consequences. [Sounds creepy...] Tunney races to shut off the device...