Twin Destinies

"Twin Destinies" is the twelfth episode of the second season of Stargate Universe.

Synopsis
Eli Wallace's plan to dial Earth using power of the star is about to be executed when it is interrupted by the discovery of the shuttle piloted by Dr. Nicholas Rush, who has traveled back in time after the plan was executed but went wrong.

Prologue
A group of people are forced to evacuate to Destiny after an attack on Icarus Base by the Lucian Alliance, and are now trapped there. Dr. Nicholas Rush breaks the master code and discovers the Bridge. After the rest of the crew discovers the bridge, Rush asks Colonel Everett Young to embrace Destiny's mission. After a failed Alliance invasion, Homeworld Command believes an attack on Earth is being planned. Young is grief striken over the death of Sgt. Hunter Riley. The Ancient shuttle left on Eden has been returned to Destiny in perfect working order. After a battle with the Berzerker drones, Destiny is badly damaged. Despite the Nakai pathogen being removed from Chloe Armstrong, she retained the knowledge gained during her infection.

Plot
A meeting is held to discuss the condition of Destiny. Dr. Adam Brody and Dr. Dale Volker explain that all of Destiny's systems have accumulated significant damage, in addition to significantly reduced life support capability. Furthermore, they have no spare parts with which to repair it. Virtually every system is running at minimum safety levels, with no redundancies. At the moment, the ship is just barely able to continue. Colonel David Telford wants to know what their options are. Dr. Nicholas Rush argues that they need to simply carry on, since they can't do anything to solve the problem. Eli Wallace, however, believes he and Ginn were able to devise a means to dial Earth while Destiny is recharging inside a star. Rush vehemently opposes this plan, as Eli's plan fails to consider the conditions inside the star while dialing. He is also concerned that it could destroy the ship. Lt. Matthew Scott doesn't see how that's a problem, since they won't be aboard, but Rush asserts that it is for those who believe in the mission. Telford thinks that no one on the ship would want to stay, but Rush merely asks Colonel Everett Young if he still believes in the mission. Young's opinion hasn't changed, but he doesn't see how they can complete it in a ship that's on its last legs. Rush has a more optimistic approach, labeling Brody and Volker "defeatists", but Young insists that he has to look to the safety of the crew first. Rush walks out.

Rush heads to the bridge, only to find MSgt. Ronald Greer there waiting for him. Greer informs him that he's been barred from the bridge or anywhere else the ship can be controlled from. In Young's quarters, Young informs Telford and Camile Wray that they will reach a star to recharge in 18 hours, where they will attempt to dial Earth. Young opens the door when Rush knocks, having anticipated that he would come upon finding that he couldn't get to the bridge. Young explains that he didn't want Rush to lock out the dialing program, though Rush insists it never occurred to him. Wray informs him that Eli is using the Long-range communication device to run his calculations by the scientists on Earth. Rush reiterates that his plan does not and cannot account for the unpredictable nature of conditions within a star, and establishing a connection could rip a hole in the fabric of space-time. Telford deems Rush to be crazy, but Young is willing to hear him out. Rush asks for a chance to speak to the crew, hoping to convince them of the importance of staying to complete Destiny's mission. He also asks that Young stand by him during this, to reinforce the importance of the request. Young agrees to both, much to the surprise of Telford.

In the Control interface room, Dr. Bill Lee, inhabiting Eli's body, is admiring Eli's work, noting that a lot of smart people on Earth couldn't figure it out. Brody admits that Eli is one of the smartest people he's ever met, though he'd rather not tell Eli that. Eli returns to his body, having confirmed his work. He also overheard part of Brody's comment, which Brody unconvincingly tries to attribute to Einstein. Scott interrupts so they can inform Young.

Destiny drops out of FTL near a star. Rush meets with Young in the gate room. Young asks if Rush can keep the ship running, specifically the minimum number of people he would need to do so. Rush believes 12 would be enough, including himself and Young. He shows Young a speech he has prepared, in case Young has anything he wants to add to it. Telford suddenly calls in from the bridge, requesting the presence of both Rush and Young.

On the bridge, Volker explains that Destiny has detected a shuttle, which has altered course to intercept. Stranger still, Dr. Nicholas Rush is trying to signal Destiny from it. It's clearly not being faked, since Destiny's shuttle is docked and the signal is in real-time. They have yet to respond to his hails, so Rush decides to answer. The second Rush warns against dialing Earth, as the crew will die if they do. When Young points out that Rush is already on Destiny, the second Rush explains that he has traveled back in time approximately 12 hours, based on Destiny's arrival minutes before. To prove it, he cites the conversation that he and Rush, in the main timeline, had prior to entering the bridge.

In the gate room, Scott muses over the fact that they're suddenly going home after they had just committed to the mission. He's excited to see his son. Chloe Armstrong mentions introducing Scott to her mother, which Scott claims makes him more nervous than going through the gate. Eli asks if they'll still hang out upon returning to Earth. Chloe says they will, and Scott thinks they should have a reunion every year. Eli's thoughts, however, were for more regular visits. Lt. Vanessa James notes that it would depend on if Eli is stationed on Earth. Eli is convinced that it will be, having never considered that Stargate Command would ask him to join upon returning. Lt. Tamara Johansen assures him that he would have a place with all of the SGC's top scientists, specifically naming Dr. Daniel Jackson, Colonel Samantha Carter, and Dr. Rodney McKay, the latter of whom James apparently dislikes. Young calls Scott over the radio, having him and Greer report to Shuttle Bay 2.

The second Rush docks the shuttle as Scott, Greer, Telford, Young, and the first Rush arrive. Upon exiting the shuttle, Rush tries to attack Telford, blaming him for killing the crew. He then collapses. Young calls TJ to treat his injuries. Wray joins her.

As TJ treats him for his injuries, Rush explains that he was burned after failing to stop an overload. The air eventually became so toxic that he had to abandon it. He speculates that Destiny must have passed near a solar flare during the dialing attempt, somehow sending the entire ship back in time. The first Rush seems amused by his double's presence, which the second Rush attributes to fascination. He doesn't think the first Rush would feel the same if he'd gone through the same events. Rush quips that he won't have to. Wray and Telford advocate trying again, hoping to learn from the second Rush's mistakes, only for him to angrily state that the only mistake was trying. TJ also points out that it will, relatively, be the same attempt if they try to go ahead. Rush jokes that it won't be entirely the same; if he and his double stay behind, continuing the cycle, they'd eventually have an entire crew.

Young asks for an explanation of what went wrong, so the second Rush relates his version of events. He gave his speech asking the crew to stay on the ship, believing that it would be a waste to throw away something the Ancients spent a generation developing. Young asked for ten volunteers, not including himself and Rush. Greer stepped forward first, followed by Volker, TJ, Chloe, Scott, James, Varro, three Lucian Alliance members, two other SGC personnel, and finally Eli. Telford spoke up, countering that the crew has no obligation to finish Destiny's mission, nor should they be expected to given how advanced the Ancients were. As he saw it, the only end for Destiny would be the day it finally died. He considered taking everyone by force, an idea which Greer quietly discouraged. With no way to convince them, Telford organized those who were returning to Earth. Rush explains that they all died after that.

Wray still advocates trying to learn from the mistakes of the first attempt, but Rush explains that Eli's program relies on precise timing; it would be the same attempt. He continues his story at Young's request. The connection was established and Telford went through first. Immediately after that, however, the connection destabilized and couldn't be shut down. Unable to fully stabilize the connection, the rest of the crew went through while Rush tried to keep the wormhole stable. Having run over the time Eli allotted, power began to build toward an overload. Young ordered everyone through, but Rush had to stay to make sure the wormhole remains active. Rush found himself alone. Once he worked up the nerve to use the communication device, he learned that Telford was the only person to get through safely. Young calls off the attempt to dial Earth, and orders the group to the bridge. The first Rush muses that he'll now have someone to hold a decent conversation with.

As Destiny circles the star, the time-displaced Destiny comes into view. Eli blames himself for the deaths of the future Destiny crew, while Chloe believes that rescuing her is what led them to this situation in the first place. Brody, however, is more focused on the damage the second Destiny has sustained, which is confined to the engineering spaces. He runs for the bridge. On the bridge, the second Rush believes they should board the other Destiny. Telford sees the value in retrieving its food and supplies, but Brody, having just arrived, explains that Rush's point is to salvage spare parts. Young holds up his radio to point out that running was unnecessary. Young points out that Destiny is already heading away, while the second Destiny is falling toward the star. Rush explains that they can do a short FTL jump, then use the Stargate. Since Destiny has no fixed point of origin, it can dial any gate. Telford offers to lead the salvage team, and the second Rush wants to join, since he knows what systems were damaged. Young is hesitant given his injuries, but both Telford and the first Rush support the idea.

Brody, Volker, and Dr. Lisa Park outline which parts they need to find and where to find them. Once the ship drops out of FTL, the gate is dialed. Eli declares the atmosphere to be safe. Upon reaching the second Destiny, both Rushes assess the conditions. The shields will fail in 40 minutes. The group is split into teams and begins salvage operations. In addition to spare parts, food, weapons, plants, medicine, and anything else useful is taken. Wray offers to contact Homeworld Command. As she leaves, Eli muses that they probably think the crew is dead. Young insists that it didn't happen, at least not to them, but Eli still blames himself, knowing that they would all be dead if it weren't for Rush being unexpectedly flung back in time.

The second Destiny hull begins to rupture as it gets closer to the star. As the teams retreat to the gate, the second Rush comes upon a power relay for the weapons. If they salvage it, they can double Destiny's weapon capability. He begins disconnecting it, and Telford agrees that it's worth the risk. The first Rush decides to leave and come back with the proper tools, warning his double not to touch the damaged relay, which still has power running through it. Park leaves with him. Telford comes in behind them to check on the second Rush. Telford insinuates that Rush tried to sabotage the dialing attempt and made a mistake which killed the crew, which Rush adamantly denies. When Telford pokes Rush in the chest, continuing his accusations, Rush angrily shoves him off and blames Telford for their deaths. He realizes too late that he has just pushed Telford into the damaged relay. Telford is electrocuted to death, to Rush's horror. He flees the scene.

The first Rush explains what his double is doing to Scott. Scott decides to follow Rush to retrieve him. Wray returns to the gate room, having had little time to debrief before the second Telford insisted on switching with someone, preferably himself, to learn what happened. Rush and Scott find Telford dead, while the second Rush is nowhere to be found. Scott reports this to Young. Rush believes he knows the whereabouts of his double and runs off. Young orders Scott to retreat, since the shields are about to fail. Rush finds his double at the interface chair. The second Rush tells him Telford's death was an accident, and insists that the story he told about his experiences was true. Knowing he can't go back to Destiny without them believing he purposefully murdered Telford, he intends to sit in the chair. The first Rush helps him, then abandons ship with Scott. The second Destiny is consumed by the star.

On the first Destiny, Rush claims not to have found his double, though he admits that he probably did not stay simply to go down with the ship. Young believes that Rush must be happy that they collected spare parts to continue the mission, but Rush's mind seems to be elsewhere.

Notable Quotes
Brody: We've run the simulation a dozen times. It works.

Lee: (In Eli's body) So, the gamer came up with power-flow algorithm.

Scott: Eli, yeah.

Lee: I got to say, you know when we tried to solve this back on Earth, there were a lot of smart people in that room.

Brody: Yeah, well don't them I said this, but he's arguably the smartest person I've ever met. (Eli returns to his body) You all right?

Eli: I'm fine. I'm back.

Scott: What do they say?

Eli: The math works, so we're on. (to Brody) Who was the "smartest person" you were just talking about?

Brody: Einstein.

Eli: Einstein?

Brody: Yeah. He was…he was pretty smart.

Eli: But don't ever tell him you said that?

Rush: My friends… Well, yes, perhaps that's, uh, an overstatement. But we are, at least, shipmates who have, up until now, shared great adversity. I know a lot of you, probably most of you, also share the hope of going home. It is a fact that the conditions inside a star bode very poorly for the sustained viability of a wormhole, and I owe it to you all to tell you that.

Telford: Stop trying to scare people and get on with this.

Rush: The Ancients did not devote the efforts of an entire generation to build this ship on a whim. Neither was Destiny named on a whim. Over a million years ago, the Ancients discovered the complex structure buried deep within the background radiation. The fingerprints of an intelligence that existed very near the beginning of time itself. Destiny was launched in search of that intelligence. Who knows how close we are to finding it. How close we are to learning, in the Ancients' words, "the destiny of all things." I don't pretend to know when that's going to be, in which stars it will happen, or even how that will change our view of the universe. I only know that Destiny has come this far and if we abandon her now, there'll be no coming back. All of that knowledge will be lost, forever. I believe this journey is the reason I'm here, but I can't hope to do it alone. I ask you to come with me.

Young: Now, I, uh, I believe that those of you who want to go home deserve that chance. But I joined Stargate Command for a reason so, I too am willing to stay aboard. What we are looking for are ten volunteers, so I am asking: those of you who want to be here, please step forward.

Telford: All, right, listen to me! You've already accomplished the damn mission! Our goal was to investigate the ninth chevron address and you've done that. Now, I do not deny that there once was a mission, but if it was as important as Rush claims it to be, they sure as hell couldn't expect us to do it. There is no noble voyage to save the universe or to meet God or whatever it is that Rush has sold you on! There is only the day that this ship dies.

Alternate Rush: I'm telling you, we need to get over to that ship.

Telford: It might be worth the risk if we can salvage ammunition, food, supplies—

(Brody runs onto the bridge)

Brody: No, no. That's not what he's talking about.

Young: Well, what is it then?

Brody: Spare parts. I had the same idea. I ran the whole way, too, so… (Young holds up his radio and shoes it to Brody) Hmm!

Telford: How much time do we have before we're out of range?

Young: Well, we can't take a shuttle. The other ship is too close to the star, and Destiny is accelerating away.

Alternate Rush: We can arrange a short FTL jump. Use the Stargate.

Telford: It's the same 'gate. Can it dial itself?

Brody: I don't see why not. Destiny's address isn't based on a fixed point in space. We'll have to input the distance calculation, but you… (looking at Alternate Rush and Rush) …guys should be able to work that out, right?

Rush: Yeah, between me, Eli and me.

Wray: Where's the other Rush?

Rush: I don't know.

Young: You told Scott you knew where he went.

Rush: I was wrong. I went looking for him, couldn't find him.

Young: Well, maybe he decided to go down with the ship.

Rush: Doesn't sound like me.