Ascension (episode)/Transcript

Episode Guide

 * 5.03 "Ascension" Episode Guide

Transcript
TEASER

FADE IN

EXT&mdash;ALIEN WORLD (DAY)

[O'Neill and Teal'c are clambering over what appear to be the ruins of an ancient city. They head over to where Daniel is studying a stone pillar.]

O'NEILL Sixteenth's coming through to set up a UAV.

TEAL'C It appears the inhabitants of this city lost a great battle and were destroyed long ago. There appears to be no survivors.

DANIEL That's too bad. I was kinda hoping someone could help me decipher this language.

O'NEILL No idea?

DANIEL No, that's very odd. This uh, whatever this is, is a completely different design from the rest of the civilisation.

O'NEILL Maybe it was here when they got here.

DANIEL Well that's assuming the inhabitants were from another planet. I can probably date its construction, compared to the rest of the structures using some sort of carbon analysis.

O'NEILL How long?

DANIEL For what?

O'NEILL All of it. How long?

DANIEL Uh, well days, weeks, months, maybe&hellip;of meticulous, tedious, boring tediousness.

[O'Neill and Teal'c walk off in separate directions.]

DANIEL But uh, I can just keep working now. By lunch at least.

INT&mdash;CAVERN, ALIEN WORLD (DAY)

[An alien technological device is standing in the centre of the cavern. O'Neill enters to see Carter working on a panel near the wall.]

O'NEILL Carter? Any idea what this thing is yet?

CARTER No, Sir, but the technology is very advanced.

O'NEILL So what? Two hours?

CARTER Very advanced.

O'NEILL All right. Well Teal'c and I have secured the immediate area, we're going to check out the town.

CARTER Yes Sir.

O'NEILL Don't turn it on.

[He starts to leave. Carter starts to examine the device.]

O'NEILL Ah! What did I just say?

[Carter lifts her hands away and O'Neill leaves.]

[Once he is gone, she crouches down by a smaller device and removes a panel, revealing crystals within.She moves over to the larger device and starts to examine it when a wind suddenly blows through the cavern.Something is watching her from above, but when she looks, she doesn't see anything.As she goes back to studying the device, the alien swoops in on her.]

EXT&mdash;ALIEN WORLD (DAY)

DANIEL Hey, Sam, are you done with that camera yet? Sam?

[He doesn't receive any answer so he heads into the cavern. Carter is lying unconscious on the floor and he rushes over to her to feel for a pulse.]

DANIEL (into his radio) Jack, get back here. Now!

END OF TEASER

INT&mdash;INFIRMARY, SGC

[Carter is sitting on one of the infirmary beds, speaking with Dr Fraiser.]

CARTER Next thing you know I'm waking up with Colonel O'Neill looking down at me. I suppose it's possible I touched something inside the device.

FRAISER No contact burns.

CARTER So what do you think it was?

FRAISER Well, people have been known to black out from fatigue.

CARTER Come on Janet. I was a little tired but&hellip;

FRAISER Your pre-mission blood test did show slight anaemia.

CARTER You gave me clearance to go.

FRAISER And I'm starting to question that judgement.

CARTER There is nothing wrong with me.

FRAISER Ok. At least consider what you've been through the last few years. You've had a Tok'ra symbiote die in your brain, your memory has been stamped, and your entire consciousness has been transferred out of your body and into a computer and then back again and that is just for starters. Eventually it has to take its toll.

CARTER (smiling) Are we done?

FRAISER Yes.

[Carter hops down off the bed.]

FRASIER Make sure you come back if you start speaking in an alien language.

CARTER I'm sure I'll have no choice.

[She leaves the infirmary.]

INT&mdash;BRIEFING ROOM, SGC

[O'Neill and Daniel are reporting to General Hammond, while another man, Colonel Reynolds sits in on their discussion.]

DANIEL Oddly the structure was built about four hundred years ago, whereas the civilisation may date back as far as three thousand.

REYNOLDS Why is that significant?

DANIEL Well, it may indicate the society developed in relative isolation and was only later influenced by something that suddenly led it to leap to a more advanced technology.

HAMMOND A Stargate.

DANIEL Exactly. Which means it's likely they either discovered it or figured out how to use it just prior to building the device. It would seem to me that these events led to the cataclysm which ended their society.

O'NEILL Somehow.

DANIEL Well, from what we know of the Goa'uld, they'll often attack a planet that's threatening technological advancement.

HAMMOND I'm sorry, but I haven't heard anyone say exactly what the device is.

DANIEL Uh, well, we're still just speculating. I mean, it could be a deep space observatory for all I know.

O'NEILL Or a big honkin' space gun Sir.

DANIEL It's likely the Goa'uld would have taken that.

[Carter enters and takes a seat.]

CARTER Well whatever it is, the power core is missing. I was able to determine that much before I uh&hellip;

O'NEILL Dozed off?

CARTER The engineering of the device is extremely advanced. It's going to take some time to decipher.

REYNOLDS You're saying that the power core to the device is missing?

HAMMOND Major, you know Colonel Reynolds.

CARTER Of course.

HAMMOND He's been transferred from Area 51 and will be leading SG16 during its long-term analysis of the planet.

CARTER Oh. Well, as I was saying, I believe that a naquada generator could be modified to interface with the&hellip;

O'NEILL (interrupting her) Carter. 16 is on the case.

HAMMOND Once I've heard someone conclusively tell me what the device is, I will decide whether we should try to find a way to turn it on.

CARTER Of course. Request permission to join SG16's assignment, Sir.

HAMMOND Denied. Dr Jackson will be assisting in the translation of the alien language until SG1's next mission. Otherwise, you're all free to take some time off. Dismissed.

[They all rise and Carter heads over to Hammond.]

CARTER Sir. With all due respect I feel fine. There's absolutely no reason why I shouldn't be allowed to help.

HAMMOND Major, I have no doubt that your technical expertise will be required at some point down the line. But until Dr Fraiser advises otherwise, I'm ordering you to take it easy.

[He heads into his office.]

CARTER Take it easy?

O'NEILL Yeah. You've been a little tense.

CARTER Tense? Me? I'm not tense. Am I? (quietly) When did you first notice?

O'NEILL As we met.

CARTER I've always just thought of myself as very focussed.

O'NEILL It's called working too hard. You're going to crash and burn.

CARTER I really don't have that much else to do, Sir.

O'NEILL Well find something. Take up&hellip;golf. Fly a kite, knit something.

[He leaves the room.]

CARTER (to the empty room) I&hellip;I'm fine. Really.

EXT&mdash;STREET (DAY)

[Carter pulls up in front of her house and gets out of the car to head inside.]

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE

[Carter enters her home and heads into the kitchen to check her answering machine.]

ANSWERING MACHINE You have no new messages.

[As Carter takes off her coat and moves around the room, the presence from the planet is once again observing her through a white haze. It looks around the house, sees photos on the wall.]

INT&mdash;BATHROOM (NIGHT)

[Carter is brushing her teeth. She turns away from the door, then quickly turns back as if she senses something. There's nothing there.]

INT&mdash;BEDROOM

[The presence is watching as Carter climbs into bed and switches off the light. It continues to watch as she sleeps.]

EXT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (DAY)

[Carter heads down her front path to pick up her newspaper. As she rises, a man is standing across the street, watching her.]

MAN Hi.

CARTER Hi.

MAN How are you?

CARTER Fine. How are you?

MAN Good. Nice to meet you.

CARTER Yeah, uh, are you from around here?

MAN No. But this is where you live.

CARTER (worried now) Yes it is. I'm going to go back inside now.

MAN See you again.

CARTER Bye.

[She heads back into her house as the man stands there watching. She locks the front door and looks out through the glass, but he's gone.]

[She heads into the kitchen to make a phone call.]

INT&mdash;DANIEL'S OFFICE, SGC

[Daniel is heading towards his office as the phone rings. He hurries inside to answer.]

DANIEL Daniel Jackson.

CARTER Hey Daniel, it's me.

DANIEL Hi, Sam.

CARTER I was just wondering how far you'd got on the 636 translation.

DANIEL Oh yes, I'm almost done. It miraculously seems to hold the key to all the mysteries of the universe.

CARTER You just got there, you haven't started and I should leave you alone.

DANIEL I thought you were supposed to be taking it easy.

CARTER Yeah, it's not so easy.

DANIEL Yeah, I know. Yeah, I promise I'll call you when I have something.

CARTER Ok, thanks.

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE

[Carter hangs up and turns around and is shocked to see the man from outside standing before her.]

CARTER How did you get in here?

MAN I won't hurt you.

CARTER (angrily) No, I'll hurt you if you come any closer.

[She starts to dial the phone for help.]

MAN Please don't. I just wanna talk to you.

CARTER About what?

MAN It's complicated.

CARTER Let's start with how you got into my house?

MAN I followed you home last night.

CARTER You've been here all night?

MAN I read some of your books and watched the television so I could learn how to speak and what to wear. (He looks down at himself) Is this ok?

CARTER You've been in my house all night?

MAN Yes. But you couldn't see me. I just took this form now so we could relate. Actually, I used to look this way before my ascension.

[Carter starts to dial again.]

MAN Please, I'm not crazy.

[She slams the phone down.]

CARTER Who are you?

MAN My name is Orlin. I'm from the planet you just visited. I followed you back through the Stargate.

CARTER See, that's impossible.

[He walks straight through the kitchen counter to stand before her. Carter backs away.]

ORLIN I can become invisible in my natural, non-corporeal state.

CARTER What do you want?

ORLIN I'm sorry if I scared you, I just wanted to talk to you. It's been so long since I&hellip;I&hellip;I know this is going to seem&hellip;ok, I'll jut come out and say it and then move on from there. I have these, I guess you could call them feelings.

[Carter edges around him, then starts to run away.]

ORLIN But the truth is&hellip;I love you.

[The front door slams as Carter runs out of the house.]

EXT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (DAY)

[Men in biohazard suits are using equipment to examine Carter's house and front garden.]

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (DAY)

[An SG engineer is fitting a camera on one of the ceilings as O'Neill follows Carter through the house.]

O'NEILL Looked like an ordinary guy?

CARTER Pretty much.

O'NEILL What was he wearing?

CARTER Average, normal clothes.

O'NEILL Where do you think he got 'em?

CARTER Come on, Sir, we've seen lots of aliens before.

O'NEILL Hammond had the surveillance tapes in the Gate room checked.

CARTER The alien said he could become completely invisible.

O'NEILL What else did he say?

CARTER He just said who he was and where he was from. Believe me, Sir, at first I thought he was just some crazy guy off the street and then he starts walking through solid objects. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to contain him if I tried. My phone line was dead and I decided the best thing to do would be to bring a Code 3 team in here as fast a possible.

O'NEILL Carter. No one's accusing you of acting improperly.

ENGINEER Colonel, we're done. I'm ordering my men to evacuate the premises.

O'NEILL All right, notify the local authorities and tell them the gas leak is fixed.

ENGINEER Yes, Sir. Our remote surveillance system is set up and can be monitored from down the street. We'll watch the place as long as you want, Sir.

O'NEILL Thanks. (To Carter) Uh, I could hang out for a while.

CARTER So far he's only shown himself to me.

O'NEILL Maybe he's shy.

CARTER Please don't say take it easy.

O'NEILL Take care?

[She smiles and nods, and he leaves.]

[Through a camera on the wall, Carter is seen moving around her house, going through a chest of drawers in the bedroom, closing the front door of her house, talking on the phone in the kitchen.]

INT&mdash;DANIEL'S OFFICE, SGC

[Teal'c is working on a laptop, Daniel reading some papers. O'Neill enters.]

DANIEL How's Sam?

O'NEILL Absolutely no evidence of her secret friend.

[Daniel looks up.]

DANIEL How's Sam?

O'NEILL Hammond recommended a psyche evaluation.

TEAL'C Do you believe Major Carter has become mentally unstable?

O'NEILL No more than the rest of us. What have you guys got?

DANIEL Well, it looks like that thing on 636 is a weapon.

O'NEILL I was right?

TEAL'C It is a weapon of great power O'Neill.

O'NEILL Big and honkin'.

DANIEL From what I've been able to decipher the people on 636 were developing along a similar technological time line to Earth. They had just discovered their STARGATE when what they called the threat from the skies came.

O'NEILL Goa'ulds.

DANIEL Yet somehow they suddenly managed to build themselves an incredibly advanced weapon to defend themselves.

O'NEILL Couldn't have been so advanced. The place was a disaster, it obviously didn't work.

DANIEL Well actually it did. The monument outside the device tells the story of how they destroyed the threat from the skies and the men who built the weapon were heroes.

TEAL'C Which would explain why the Goa'uld did not take the weapon.

O'NEILL Hey, I saw that planet. If the Goa'uld didn't get them, who did?

DANIEL We're not sure.

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (NIGHT)

[Carter enters her sitting room and switches on a light. Orlin is sitting behind her.]

ORLIN I understand why you did it.

CARTER Of course you wait until they took the cameras away.

ORLIN Military protocol. You would have jeopardised your job if you didn't report me.

CARTER I just came from a psychological evaluation. Do you understand what that means?

ORLIN They think you're crazy.

CARTER Am I?

ORLIN There were times on Velona where I thought I might be losing my mind.

CARTER Velona.

ORLIN Your planet refers to it as 636. I was there for hundreds of years by myself. The first time I saw you&hellip;

CARTER Look&hellip;

ORLIN Please. Let me finish. My kind are capable of a level of communication that shares our innermost essence.

CARTER Telepathy.

ORLIN Reading someone's mind is an invasion of privacy. It's not about specific thoughts or memory. It's a sort of&hellip;exchange of spirit.

CARTER So you did this sharing thing on me.

ORLIN Unfortunately, you passed out. I guess you weren't prepared. But I did learn about you.

CARTER What did you learn?

ORLIN That you're a good person, that your heart is pure, that on the inside your spirit is as beautiful as you are on the outside.

CARTER (exasperated) All right.

[She gets to her feet.]

ORLIN Where are you going?

CARTER To get the Code 3 team back in here.

ORLIN I'll just hide again.

CARTER So what are you going to do? Stalk me for the rest of my life?

ORLIN Actually, I just wanted you to let me try again. I think a human can handle it. I think you have to just be&hellip;well, receptive.

CARTER Then will you go to the SGC and turn yourself in?

ORLIN No. But I'll leave if you want.

CARTER Will you actually be gone?

ORLIN I promise.

CARTER Ok. What do I do?

ORLIN (rising) Stand there. Open your mind to the possibility of an existence not governed by the rules of science which you hold so dear.

CARTER How do I do that?

ORLIN Just close your eyes and&hellip;

CARTER Don't say take it easy.

ORLIN Relax.

[She takes a breath, then closes her eyes. Orlin begins to glow brightly, losing his human form as he does so. The light surrounds both him and Carter, before dissipating.]

[Carter opens her eyes and stares at Orlin.]

CARTER Oh my god.

INT&mdash;CORRIDOR, SGC

[Carter, in civilian clothing, quickly catches up with O'Neill.]

CARTER Colonel!

O'NEILL Yep?

CARTER Sir, look at this.

[She shows him a clock, with a camera hidden inside.]

O'NEILL So?

CARTER So, it was in my house. The Code3 team were supposed to take away all their equipment when they left, no more cameras, no more listening devices.

O'NEILL So they forgot one Carter.

CARTER Are you sure?

O'NEILL No.

[They stop outside a room.]

CARTER Sir. Is the SGC secretly keeping tabs on me?

O'NEILL Secretly?

CARTER Colonel, I did my duty in reporting the alien encounter and now everyone thinks I'm crazy.

O'NEILL Look, Carter, here's the bottom line. No one has seen what you've seen and until that happens we're all going to think you're nuts.

CARTER Sir, purely hypothetically, as my superior office, if this alien did show himself to me again&hellip;

O'NEILL Did it?

CARTER I'm just saying if the alien had the ability and desire to show himself only to me, it would probably be better if I gathered as much information as I could, possibly even found a way of isolating it, before I officially mentioned it again. Right?

O'NEILL Probably. Yes. I got to pee.

[He goes into the bathroom.]

CARTER Yes Sir.

INT&mdash;Carter's LAB, SGC

[Carter is sitting at the computer when Daniel enters.]

DANIEL That's the last of it.

CARTER Thanks.

DANIEL What are you working on?

CARTER Well, based on your translation and SG16's latest report, the Pentagon has started putting pressure on General Hammond to try to find a way to activate the weapon.

DANIEL You think that's going to be possible?

CARTER Well yeah. A naquada reactor can be interfaced easily enough. The problem is the burst of energy that's required makes the whole thing pretty dangerous.

DANIEL How?

CARTER Well, basically you have to start an overload in the reactor and then release it into the device. The problem is, once the overload is started, you have no choice but to release the energy or the reactor will explode.

DANIEL So you'd better be sure you want the weapon to fire.

CARTER Yep. I'm working on a way to try to buffer the energy in a safer environment prior to the release but General Hammond hasn't given me much time.

DANIEL By all accounts, this device on 636 is a pretty powerful weapon.

CARTER You think we should just leave it alone?

DANIEL Well, let's just say I'd feel better if there was someone left to explain how to use it.

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (DAY)

[Carter enters her house to find Orlin waiting for her.]

ORLIN You're late.

CARTER What do you mean?

ORLIN You said you'd be home an hour ago. I was worried.

CARTER Hey, this is not a relationship we have going here. I don't even know what it is.

ORLIN You still could have called.

CARTER What are you talking about? You couldn't even answer the phone if I did.

ORLIN Maybe I could have.

[Carter looks around and sees the table set with candles and flowers.]

CARTER How did&hellip;? I mean, I thought.

[She touches his shoulder.]

ORLIN Surprise.

CARTER How?

ORLIN Things have been going well between us, right?

CARTER There is no us, Orlin. I don't see how there ever could be.

ORLIN That was just because we used to live on different planes of existence.

CARTER Used to?

ORLIN It's possible for my kind to take human form. Actually, re-take human form, considering this is the way we started.

[The doorbell rings.]

CARTER Oh boy.

O'NEILL (from outside) Carter!

CARTER It's Colonel O'Neill. Disappear.

[The doorbell rings again.]

ORLIN That's what I was trying to tell you. I can't anymore.

[O'Neill starts knocking on the door, so Carter grabs Orlin and pushes him into a closet, closing the door.]

[She answers the front door to find O'Neill and TEAL'C, in a cowboy hat, waiting for her.]

CARTER Hey guys, what are you doing here?

O'NEILL We brought pizzas and a movie.

TEAL'C Star Wars.

O'NEILL He's seen it, what? Eight times?

TEAL'C Nine.

O'NEILL Nine times. If Teal'c likes it, it's got to be ok.

CARTER You've never seen Star Wars?

O'NEILL Well, you know me and sci-fi. Come on, we never just get to hang out, so I thought we'd&hellip;

CARTER Uh, Sir, as much as I, ah&hellip;

[She glances back inside the house.]

O'NEILL Carter. Do you&hellip;already have company?

CARTER Kind of.

O'NEILL A date?

CARTER I can understand why you might assume that I didn't have plans.

O'NEILL Don't worry about it. We'll find something else to do.

CARTER I'm really sorry, I mean this is a surprise, very unexpected.

O'NEILL Well good for you. Have fun.

CARTER Thank you.

O'NEILL Have a pizza&hellip;and fun.

[He gives her the pizza and he and Teal'c leave.]

[Carter opens the closet door.]

ORLIN As I was saying, once my kind chooses to take human form, we can't ascend again without the help of the others.

EXT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (DAY)

[O'Neill and Teal'c are walking away from the house.]

O'NEILL So, now what?

TEAL'C I have read of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O.

O'NEILL Call Daniel.

[They get in O'Neill's car and drive off.]

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE

[Orlin and Carter are talking over the meal Orlin prepared.]

ORLIN I don't know where the rest of my kind are.

CARTER Well, believe it or not, we met one of them. Her name was Oma Desala.

ORLIN Really. Never heard of her.

CARTER She could do the same glowy kind of things that you can and she controlled the forces of Nature.

ORLIN Yeah, that's easy. At least it used to be.

CARTER Well she lived on a planet called Kheb and she helped people ascend to a higher plane of existence.

ORLIN That's why I've never heard of her. She was probably banished, like me.

CARTER What for?

ORLIN Breaking one of the most sacred rules of our kind: Do not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath. The humans of Velona were under attack from the Goa'uld. I was prohibited from interfering, but I couldn't just watch them die.

CARTER You told them how to build the weapon.

ORLIN Communicated the knowledge, yes. They saved themselves.

CARTER But not for long.

ORLIN No.

CARTER Well, you were right to try.

ORLIN You're wrong. It was a horrible mistake. Shortly after they used the weapon to defend themselves, they started to plan the conquest of other planets using the technology that I gave them.

CARTER So what happened?

ORLIN The others.

CARTER The others of your kind destroyed the planet? Well, they interfered too, isn't that breaking their own rule.

ORLIN As a collective, they decided it was necessary to prevent a disaster that I was responsible for. I was forced to live on Velona after that as my punishment.

CARTER You couldn't have known.

ORLIN That's why the rule exists.

CARTER So. What now?

ORLIN I'm human. Mortal, like you. I can never go back to the way I was without the others.

CARTER Why would you do this?

ORLIN I did it as much for myself as for you.

INT&mdash;VAN, OUTSIDE CARTER'S HOUSE

[Two men inside the van are monitoring Carter and Orlin inside the house.]

ORLIN (through listening device) If nothing develops between us, I'll accept it. I just couldn't go on any other way. I just had to know.

INT&mdash;BRIEFING ROOM, SGC

REYNOLDS One week should be more than enough time to run the proper pre-test simulation.

[He glances towards Colonel Simmons, who is sitting opposite SG1.]

CARTER Sirs, if I may. I think we should wait.

SIMMONS You think we should wait? Major, you're the one who figured out how to use the naquada reactor to power this device.

CARTER Because General Hammond ordered me to. And if you read my recommendations, you'll see I also said it's extremely dangerous.

SIMMONS Well I did read your recommendation and the Pentagon feels the risks are worth the reward.

REYNOLDS Going through the Stargate is extremely dangerous and you do that everyday.

DANIEL I agree with Sam; we don't know enough about what happened on that planet yet.

SIMMONS Need I remind you, Dr Jackson, of the dangers that we're trying to defend Earth against.

DANIEL Oh, could you? Go slow.

CARTER General, I believe that using the device caused an atmospheric weather anomaly big enough to destroy the civilisation on 636.

DANIEL You do?

SIMMONS That wasn't in your report.

HAMMOND Do you have any evidence Major?

CARTER Not exactly. But I think that we need to perform a proper forensic environmental analysis.

REYNOLDS We're going to. After the first test firing of the weapon which is when we'll be able to gather the most accurate information.

CARTER Not if you're dead.

REYNOLDS There is nothing to show&hellip;

HAMMOND (cutting him off) Major, you have two weeks to bring in any relevant evidence. If you can present a good reason to stop the test, I will. Dismissed.

[Simmons approaches Hammond.]

SIMMONS General. Need I remind you, that ultimately the decision rests with the Pentagon.

HAMMOND Colonel, there's a red phone in my office that only takes calls from one man. The last time I checked, he's the boss of your boss. Or do I need to remind you?

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (DAY)

[Carter enters her house.]

CARTER Orlin?

ORLIN Sam, I'm glad you're home. I made something for you.

[He hands her something wrapped in a cloth. She opens it to find a large emerald.]

CARTER Is this real?

ORLIN I read about how humans associate certain materials with their birth month. Yours is emerald right?

CARTER It's huge.

ORLIN Oh. Is it? It was difficult to tell the common size from the pictures in the book.

CARTER You made it?

ORLIN You wouldn't believe the things that you can make from the common, simple items lying around your planet. Which reminds me, you're going to need a new microwave.

CARTER Orlin, I need to talk to you about something else.

ORLIN Ok.

CARTER Let's take a walk.

EXT&mdash;PARK (DAY)

[Orlin and Carter are walking through the park.]

ORLIN The others will know if the weapon is activated.

CARTER You think they'll try to stop us?

ORLIN It's possible.

CARTER What, even if we only intend to use the weapon to defend ourselves?

ORLIN How can you be sure of your people's intentions? You obviously can't trust them if you think that they would spy on you inside of your own house.

CARTER Yeah, I guess I can't trust all of them.

ORLIN I've read some of your recent history.

CARTER And?

ORLIN Many of the creators of the first atom bomb honestly believed it would only be used to maintain peace. I can't take the chance, Sam. I won't be responsible for the demise of another civilisation.

CARTER Well if you thought it might come to that, why didn't you just destroy the weapon?

ORLIN I thought I had. I never expected you to be able to replace the power core. You really are brilliant.

CARTER I think your point is, we have to find a way to stop the test.

ORLIN How? You have no proof without exposing me.

CARTER I know.

[He starts to smile.]

CARTER What?

ORLIN I'm sorry. If you haven't turned me in by now, there must be a reason.

CARTER I'd feel bad betraying you. That's all, nothing more.

ORLIN You like me.

CARTER Orlin.

ORLIN You like me. I can tell. You like me a lot.

[Carter smiles despite herself.]

INT&mdash;HAMMOND'S OFFICE, SGC

[Carter enters Hammond's office to find O'Neill and Simmons waiting for her.]

O'NEILL They're testing the weapon.

HAMMOND I received an order directly from the President. Colonel Reynolds and SG16 are on P4X 636, setting up the naquada reactor as we speak.

CARTER But, Sir, you said I would have two weeks, it's only been&hellip;

SIMMONS Nine days, Major. And I dare say you haven't spent a single minute of it working on atmospheric weather anomalies.

CARTER What's that supposed to mean?

SIMMONS Would you like to explain these deliveries?

CARTER What deliveries?

SIMMONS (reading from a report) 100 pounds of raw titanium. 200 feet of fibre optic cable. Seven 100, 000 watt industrial strength capacitors. The list goes on. All ordered on line from your home computer.

[He hands her the sheet of paper.]

CARTER I have no idea what you're talking about, I've been here on the base everyday.

SIMMONS Oh, well then maybe you'd like to explain who's been excepting these deliveries.

[He shows her photos of her and Orlin, taken from outside her house.]

CARTER (shocked) You have been watching me.

HAMMOND Not us. The Pentagon. I'm sorry Major. I've expressed my anger and disappointment to the resident regarding the investigation of one of my officers without my knowledge.

SIMMONS We have tapes of your conversation with the alien.

O'NEILL At least we know there is one now for sure.

SIMMONS Would you like to tell us what's going on Major?

O'NEILL She doesn't have to tell you squat. Major Carter was working with the approval of her superior officer. She told me he was there. I authorised her to collect as much information as possible.

SIMMONS I'm not here to lay blame, Colonel. I'm here as a courtesy. (To Carter) As we speak a team of Special Forces are surrounding your house and on my command, they're going to go in and take that alien into custody.

EXT&mdash;OUTSIDE CARTER'S HOUSE (NIGHT)

[Special Forces are in position outside Carter's house. A car pulls up and Simmons, Carter and O'Neill get out.]

SIMMONS What's going on?

SOLDIER Well the suspect is in there, but he's failing to respond to our call to surrender.

O'NEILL Let Carter go in. He's worth more to you alive, right?

SIMMONS Yeah.

O'NEILL You've got the place sealed off, he's not going anywhere. Let Carter go in and try to bring him out.

SIMMONS All right. Give her a radio.

[A soldier gives Carter a radio and she heads over to her house.]

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (NIGHT)

[Carter enters her home. It's dark and she has a flashlight.]

CARTER Orlin? Orlin?

ORLIN (from below) Sam? Come on down.

[She descends into the basement to find him fiddling with the fuse box.]

CARTER Orlin, what are you doing?

ORLIN Ok, just a minute.

CARTER There's a team of Special Forces outside.

ORLIN I know.

CARTER They wanna take you into custody.

ORLIN I know. It's ok.

CARTER Orlin, I didn't turn you in.

ORLIN I didn't think you did.

[He does something to the fuse box, causing sparks, then grabs her hand and pulls her into another room.]

ORLIN Come on.

[They enter the other room to find a small Stargate in the middle.]

CARTER Whoa. You've been busy.

ORLIN I didn't think they'd let me go back to Velona through their Stargate.

CARTER So you built one?

ORLIN Sort of. This won't dial multiple addresses and will only create a wormhole once and probably burn out.

CARTER And you ordered the materials on line.

ORLIN Mostly. Sorry, but you're going to have a pretty big credit card bill this month. Oh, and you're going to need a new toaster. I tapped into the main power line. Hopefully we'll be able to draw enough energy.

CARTER And then what?

ORLIN I go to Velona to stop your people from using the weapon.

CARTER You know they won't listen to you. They have orders.

ORLIN Then I'll have to make them listen.

CARTER They could kill you.

SIMMONS (over the radio) Major Carter. Major Carter, report. Major Carter, respond immediately.

[She holds the radio, but doesn't respond.]

EXT&mdash;OUTSIDE CARTER'S HOUSE (NIGHT)

SIMMONS (into his radio) Carter.

O'NEILL (into the radio) Carter, what are you doing?

SIMMONS (to the soldiers) Move in.

SOLDIER All teams, all teams, we have a Code Red.

O'NEILL (to Carter, over the radio) We're coming in.

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (NIGHT)

[Carter can hear the order given over the radio.]

SOLDIER (over her radio) Go, go, go.

ORLIN I was really hoping that there would be another way.

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (NIGHT)

[The Special Forces soldiers enter the house, kicking in the doors.]

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (NIGHT)

[Orlin triggers the power to his mini Stargate and it's enough to create a wormhole through to Velona.]

ORLIN You know how I feel about you. I hope this isn't goodbye.

[He runs and jumps thought the Stargate while Carter looks on.]

[She hears the approach of the soldiers.]

INT&mdash;CARTER'S HOUSE (NIGHT)

[O'Neill and the soldiers enter the small room to see the small Stargate shut down. There's no sign of Carter.]

EXT&mdash;VELONA (DAY)

[Orlin is running away from the Stargate, Carter a few hundred yards behind.]

CARTER Orlin!

[Orlin looks up to see the sky ominously clouding over.]

INT&mdash;CAVERN, VELONA

[Colonel Reynolds and his team are working on the device.]

[Orlin comes in and attacks one man, pushing him down and grabbing his zat gun. He shoots the downed soldier but Reynolds draws his side arm and points it at him.]

REYNOLDS Don't move!

EXT&mdash;VELONA

[Carter is running towards the cavern when she hears a shot being fired.]

CARTER (running into the cavern) Hold your fire! I know this man.

[Behind her, Orlin has been shot, but is still on his feet.]

REYNOLDS He attacked us.

[The device in the cavern is starting to build up power.]

CARTER Colonel please. Lower your weapon. He has good reason to wanna stop this test.

REYNOLDS I-I have orders from General Hammond.

CARTER I know. Let's just dial out and talk to the General about it.

REYNOLDS Can't do that. Your instructions specifically said that once we started the energy build up, we couldn't abort or the reactor will blow.

CARTER (to Orlin) He's right. If we disconnect the reactor now, it will explode.

ORLIN Good. The weapon will be destroyed.

REYNOLDS I can't let that happen, Major.

[Orlin dives forward and Reynolds opens fire, but he manages to disconnect the cables to the device in a shower of sparks.]

[The device begins to lose power and goes dead.]

[Carter rushes over to Orlin, who has been shot several times.]

ORLIN I can't believe how much this hurts.

CARTER Just hang on.

REYNOLDS Major, we got to get out of here.

CARTER We can dial out. We can't risk the blast translating through the wormhole.

ORLIN I have to go, Sam. (He touches her face) They've given me another chance. It's the only way I can save you.

[He starts to glow and the hand touching her face slips away into the light as he moves away from her. He passes over the naquada reactor, to the shock of Colonel Reynolds, and takes it high into the sky where it explodes in a massive blast. The others all duck as a lightning bolt shoots down and destroys the device for good. Carter slowly raises herself to look up at the sky through the gap in the cavern and see clouds begin to clear.]

FADE OUT

THE END

Transcribed by Dee for Stargatefan

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--Kylie Lee 04:51, 7 Jul 2004 (PDT)