Nightwalkers

"Nightwalkers" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
Dr. Richard Flemming calls Major Samantha Carter and informs her about mysterious things that are going on in a town called Steveston, Oregon, but he is murdered before he can go into greater detail. SG-1, without Colonel Jack O'Neill, investigates the strange things that are happening in the seemingly innocent town.

Plot
On a rainy night, a man named Dr. Richard Flemming calls Major Samantha Carter while driving a car. He tells her that he knows about Adrian Conrad and what happened to her but suddenly there are crashing noises and the connection is terminated. At Stargate Command Carter informs the others about what she discovered. It is apparent that while Flemming's car was badly damaged, the man himself is missing; thus, Major General George S. Hammond believes that SG-1 should investigate. However, Colonel Jack O'Neill cannot join the mission since the Tok'ra still need a new host for his symbiote, who cured him from the Ancient contagion (see "Frozen").

Carter, Teal'c and Jonas Quinn are ordered by Hammond to drive to the city where Flemming worked, and there Carter questions Sheriff Knox. He tells her that Flemming's laboratory was burned, possibly on purpose. Afterward, the trio decide to check Flemming's house but they find absolutely nothing. Suddenly, someone brings a package (and it turns out that it comes from Flemming himself (i.e., sent from Flemming to Flemming)) which contains a syringe. They decide to investigate further about Immunitech Research, where Flemming worked.

At night, many people gather in a house elsewhere in town and decide to do something if the "uninvited" three from SGC find anything of significance.

The next morning, Carter tells Jonas and Teal'c that she didn't discover anything, but Jonas says that the people in the restaurant where they eat have been act strangely for some time. Suddenly, a policeman comes in and brings Carter to the sheriff, who tells her that someone intentionally created a fire at Immunitech, as evidenced by leftover containers of gasoline. He also tells her that two months ago another worker at Immunitech named Peter Stofer vanished and was never found. He then shows her documents which reveal that Stofer worked with Flemming. In their motel Carter tells her friends that Stofer and Flemming ordered materials on stem-cell research which could be used for cloning.

In the evening Jonas and Teal'c enter a bar but they nearly get in a fight with three men until the sheriff intervenes. After Jonas and Teal'c leave, the sheriff tells the shady men in the bar that they should not "disturb the operation" or else he'd kill them himself. The next morning Jonas sees one of the three men again in a restaurant and apologizes for their previous confrontation; however, the man does not remember Jonas. When the three leave the restaurant, they see a man spying on them. They deliberately run down the street so as to capture the man for questioning. The man tells them that he was a security guard at Immunitech and believes that Flemming was murdered. Carter, Teal'c, and Jonas then think about what could go on in the city and Jonas suddenly remembers something he saw by the shipyards. They travel to the shipyards and find a lot of hardware and, in another room, an Incomplete Goa'uld spacecraft.

At night, while Carter tries to decode some discs that were taken from the shipyards, Teal'c and Jonas investigate the yards. Suddenly, while several people from the town appear at the shipyards, Carter finds out that the information on the hard disks is written in the Goa'uld language. It appears that the whole town is infested with Goa'uld. She informs her friends just as they are suddenly captured by several men; concurrently, several other Goa'uld-infested people arrive at her motel.

In a van, a man named Agent Cross tells Teal'c and Jonas that he is a member of the NID and has watched these people since they were infected with cloned Goa'uld (copies of the Goa'uld that infested Adrian Conrad). The Goa'uld do not wish to remain on Earth and are building the spaceship so that they can escape. The NID's agenda, which is unknown to the Goa'uld, is to steal the spaceship and establish a "planetary defense system."

Meanwhile, Carter is stunned by the sheriff and infected with a Goa'uld. When Teal'c, Jonas, and Cross arrive at the motel, they find Carter missing and tell Agent Cross to do something; Cross gives in and calls for troops. Immediately after this, of the NID agents, who is actually a Goa'uld, stuns everyone with a Zat'nik'tel. They are brought to the house where Sam is and Cross is infected with a Goa'uld. They then want him to infiltrate the rest of the NID. When he leaves, the Goa'uld in Carter says that they should kill Teal'c and Jonas. Meanwhile a containment team arrives and reports to Agent Cross, who wants to go to the headquarters. Suddenly Carter appears, and after talking with Agent Cross, she stuns them with the Zat, citing their stupidity.

Back at SGC Carter reveals that the substance in the syringe prevented the Goa'uld from taking her over. The Goa'uld were physiologically immature and could thus control the host only at night. It was apparent that the drug in the syringe (an antibiotic) could kill the Goa'uld within minutes. Before being captured, Carter injected herself with the drug, thus causing her symbiote to be killed within minutes of implantation. Hammond then tells SG-1 that all other citizens from Stevenson are being freed from the Goa'uld with the drug (under the guise of a meningitis vaccine) and that the incomplete spaceship is being brought to Area 51 for further studies.

Notable Quotes
Carter: You knew who Adrian Conrad was, didn't you?

Jonas: Well, I've memorized all of your mission reports. I just don't want people around here to start thinking I'm strange.

Carter: People don't think you're strange.

Jonas: What about Colonel O'Neill?

Carter: (stares blankly at Jonas) Let's get some lunch.

Carter: I'm going to go talk to the sheriff. Keep an eye on Teal'c.

Jonas: Sure.

Carter: (walks over to Teal'c) Keep an eye on Jonas.

Jonas: (dipping an onion ring into a milkshake) Mmm.

Carter: (disgusted) Nice lunch.

Jonas: Mmm. I'm really starting to enjoy this "traditional American food." Mmm.

Carter: We have another tradition. It's called "hardened arteries."

(Jonas gives Carter a confusing look.)

Jonas: Don't tell me you haven't noticed how strangely people have been acting around here.

Carter: (confused) What are you talking about?

Jonas: Well, for instance, that man there, right behind Teal'c ... he doesn't realize it, but he just put eight cubes of sugar into his coffee. And that lady over at the counter, she's been reading the same article for half an hour. Since we sat down, that waitress has dropped her tray twice, the cook has gotten three orders wrong, including my hamburger, which I ordered medium rare but is in fact well done.

Teal'c: You have much to learn about humans.

Jonas: That's kind of my point. How are we supposed to fit in when we spend all our time on base?

Teal'c: ... I have a sufficient understanding of Earth culture.

Jonas: But you'll never really be one of them.

Teal'c: (smiling) This is not my home. When my time with SG-1 is done, I will return to Chulak with my son.

Jonas: I guess that's the difference between us. I don't think I'll be able to go back.

Carter: You didn't say anything weird, did you?

Jonas: (shocked) Why are you looking at me?

Carter: Anyway...

Teal'c: Still, the people of this town are behaving strangely ... even for humans.

Jonas: (observing Carter picking a lock) You have got to teach me how to do that.

Carter: (amused) Wormhole theory, motorcycle riding, and lock picking.

Jonas: Not necessarily in that order.

Jonas: So, when we were in the sheriff's office, you were in complete control?

Carter: That's right.

Jonas: And you felt it absolutely necessary to really slap me?

Carter: Had to make it look good. (awkward silence)  Let's get some lunch. (stands up and leaves)

Jonas: (confused)

Goofs

 * At the restaurant, Teal'c refers to the people of Earth simply as humans, rather than as Tau'ri. Jonas is human, and Teal'c is human to a limited degree as he is Jaffa.

Nominations

 * Nominated Gemini for "Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series" (Peter F. Woeste)

In other languages

 * French: L’Expérience Secrète (The Secret Experiment)
 * Italian: Passeggiatori notturni (Nightwalkers)
 * Spanish: Noctámbulos (Nighthawks)
 * Czech: Noční Směna (Night Shift)