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TEASER

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[Travel through wormhole.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Sheppard is wheeled in on a gurney, after his right arm has been injured by the feeding hand of Ellia. Beckett walks beside him. McKay walks in behind them.]

SHEPPARD This really isn't necessary, Doc.

BECKETT Yes, it is. You've got a serious laceration on your arm, and you've lost a good deal of blood.

MCKAY Yeah, well, enjoy the ride, Colonel. They're making me walk.

BECKETT You have a splinter, Rodney.

MCKAY It's a very nasty, painful splinter.

BECKETT All right, let's have a look at this.

[Beckett takes the bandage off Sheppard's arm. He takes a medicated swab from a nurse.]

BECKETT All right. Thank you. This might hurt a wee bit.

[In the next bed, a nurse removes the splinter from McKay's hand.]

MCKAY Ow! Ow.

SHEPPARD (looking at McKay) I'm sure it will.

[Beckett starts cleaning Sheppard's cut.]

BECKETT This doesn't sting?

SHEPPARD No.

BECKETT I know you have a high threshold for pain, but this&hellip;

[Beckett has cleaned all the blood off.]

SHEPPARD This is what?

[There's no sign of a wound once the blood is removed.]

BECKETT Gone.

SHEPPARD What?

BECKETT The feeding mark. It's completely healed.

END TEASER

OPENING CREDITS

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Beckett draws blood from Sheppard's left arm.]

SHEPPARD Maybe the wound wasn't that bad.

BECKETT Then where did all the blood come from?

SHEPPARD I don't know. Maybe it just looked a lot worse than it was.

BECKETT I don't see evidence of any cut at all.

SHEPPARD That's weird, because it hurt like hell.

BECKETT You're sure the skin was broken?

SHEPPARD Yeah, I'm pretty sure. There was a lot of blood. Maybe it was hers.

BECKETT It was definitely human.

SHEPPARD I don't know. Maybe it was a nosebleed.

BECKETT Is that supposed to be a joke, Colonel?

[Sheppard stands and puts his vest back on.]

SHEPPARD Believe me, this isn't funny.

BECKETT Give me half a day to run your blood work and analyze it with the data we already have. We'll figure it out.

SHEPPARD And until then?

BECKETT You're welcome to look over my shoulder.

SHEPPARD Yeah, that's tempting, but&hellip;

BECKETT Just go about your day.

[Sheppard leaves.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CATWALK STRUCTURE

[Sheppard runs, followed closely by Ronon. He stops suddenly, as if surprised. Ronon leans over the railing, out of breath.]

SHEPPARD I thought you said you were a runner.

RONON That’s funny.

SHEPPARD I can usually barely keep up. What's with you?

RONON What's with you?

SHEPPARD Water?

[He gives the water bottle to Ronon.]

SHEPPARD Hey, sore loser, I don't act like a jerk when you beat me.

RONON Yes, you do.

SHEPPARD Okay, then we'll go around again.

RONON Go ahead.

[Ronon starts to walk away.]

SHEPPARD Okay, grumpy. I will.

[Sheppard runs fast in the other direction.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Beckett is working at a laptop. A nurse enters.]

NURSE Dr. Beckett? I thought you'd want to see this.

BECKETT Is this from Colonel Sheppard's blood sample?

NURSE That's right.

BECKETT And you've run it twice?

NURSE Of course.

BECKETT Okay, let's run it one more time. I want to be certain before I tell him.

NURSE All right.

[They walk out hurriedly.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS TRAINING ROOM

[Teyla and Sheppard spar with the wooden rods. Sheppard moves quickly, able to keep up with Teyla. They pause, Teyla looking surprised.]

SHEPPARD Not bad, huh?

TEYLA Yes, yes. You are doing very well.

[They spare some more, Sheppard approaching aggressively.]

TEYLA You have been practicing.

SHEPPARD Not really.

[He tosses one of the rods to the floor. They spar again, Sheppard with one arm behind his back. He parries every move from Teyla and backs her against the wall.]

TEYLA You are showing a considerable leap in ability, Colonel Sheppard.

SHEPPARD You can call me John when we're off the clock.

TEYLA Very well&hellip;John.

SHEPPARD There you go.

TEYLA Should we continue, or do you&hellip;

[He drops his remaining rod, then grabs Teyla's head and kisses her passionately. He pulls away, leaving her in shock.]

SHEPPARD (confused) I'm not really sure just what happened.

TEYLA Colonel&hellip;

SHEPPARD That was interesting.

BECKETT (over radio) Colonel Sheppard, please report to the infirmary.

SHEPPARD (concerned) Are you okay?

TEYLA Dr. Beckett will be expecting you.

[He gives her a once over visually.]

SHEPPARD Yeah.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Beckett and Weir meet with Sheppard.]

BECKETT The good news is we can now say with some certainty that Ellia didn't drain away any of your life.

SHEPPARD We already knew that.

BECKETT I suppose.

SHEPPARD That's the best good news you could come up with?

BECKETT It looks like you've been infected with the iratus bug retrovirus, the one we’re working on to turn Ellia into a human.

SHEPPARD You mean the one that didn't turn her into a human.

BECKETT Ellia administered the treatment prematurely. It wasn't ready. It wasn't even supposed to be&mdash;

SHEPPARD I'm not blaming you, Doc.

BECKETT But you're right. Her transformation was into a creature closer to the iratus bug than a to a human, and I know how much you&mdash;

SHEPPARD Hate those bugs?

BECKETT Yes.

WEIR But for one, Ellia was a Wraith, and she took a massive dose of the retrovirus. Do we know how the Colonel's system might respond to the drug?

BECKETT I have no idea. It was never engineered to be given to a human. It was never intended to be given to anyone&mdash;

SHEPPARD Doc, let it go.

BECKETT The problem is I have no idea how your body will react. I can't even begin to guess.

SHEPPARD Well, if how I feel is any indication, I'm fine.

BECKETT It's certainly possible that it's already breaking down in your system. Ellia's transformation was extreme and immediate.

SHEPPARD See?

BECKETT But the wound on your arm healed unnaturally fast.

SHEPPARD If there was a wound&mdash;

BECKETT Well, there had to be, otherwise, I don't see how you got infected in the first place.

SHEPPARD Well, she was spitting an awful lot.

[Beckett sighs.]

WEIR So, what, we just monitor it for now?

BECKETT Aye. You'll need to check in every six hours.

SHEPPARD I can do that.

WEIR And you should probably&mdash;

SHEPPARD Suspend my off-world activities until we know more.

WEIR Thank you.

SHEPPARD See you in six hours.

[Sheppard leaves.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, NIGHT

INT&mdash;WEIR'S OFFICE

[Weir is working on her tablet computer. Caldwell enters.]

CALDWELL You're working late.

WEIR No, not really.

[She holds up her table to show him she was playing solitaire.]

CALDWELL Yeah. We keep trying to remove it from the terminals on the Daedalus. Somehow, the crew keeps finding a way of putting it back.

WEIR Never get between a genius and a computer game&hellip; Aren't you scheduled to fly out?

CALDWELL I was supposed to, yes, until I heard about Sheppard.

WEIR (nodding) He's under Beckett's supervision.

CALDWELL If Lieutenant Colonel finds himself unable to perform his duties, that's&hellip;

WEIR (realizing what he's suggesting) You have a ship to command, Colonel. I wouldn't want to spread you too thin.

CALDWELL Novak and Hermiod are running a full diagnostic on our FTL drive. They're worried about the constant use jumping between galaxies. Which is to say, if I need to, I have some time.

WEIR Okay. Let me think about it.

CALDWELL Thank you. You got chess on there?

WEIR As a matter of fact, I do.

CALDWELL Well, I have to warn you that I am a career military strategist.

WEIR Well, I'll have to take my chances.

INT&mdash;SHEPPARD'S QUARTERS

[Sheppard enters and takes off his jacket. He notices there is a large growth at the point where Ellia wounded him. Purple tendrils radiate outward from a firm center. He puts his earpiece back in.]

SHEPPARD (into radio) Hey, Doc&hellip; this is Sheppard.

BECKETT (over radio) Yes, Colonel.

SHEPPARD (into radio) We may have to bump up our first check-in.

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;INFIRMARY

[Sheppard lies on a bed, his eyes closed, while a technician runs a scanner on him. Beckett and Weir stand by.]

BECKETT The retrovirus isn't breaking down in his system like we hoped it would.

WEIR You're positive?

BECKETT Yes. In fact, it's beginning to alter his DNA. If it's allowed to continue, he'll devolve into a creature similar to what Ellia became.

WEIR How long do we have?

BECKETT I'm not sure, exactly.

WEIR Ballpark. Months? Weeks?

BECKETT Days. We have days.

WEIR Okay, what's the plan?

BECKETT I've injected him with a viral inhibitor. It should slow down the retrovirus as far as his cognitive abilities are concerned. But I'm afraid that's it so far. We're exploring various treatments that may or may not be effective, so&mdash;

WEIR No, Carson. We don't have any time to explore. Come on. There's got to be something in the Ancient database that can help you find a treatment.

BECKETT I know that, Elizabeth. We're doing our best.

WEIR I'm sorry. I know. Of course you are.

[Across the room, Sheppard is awake.]

BECKETT You should talk to him. He's hiding it very well, but if I was him, I'd be scared to death.

[Sheppard sits up suddenly and looks over.]

SHEPPARD How am I doing?

[Beckett and Weir exchange looks, then she walks over to Sheppard.]

SHEPPARD Anything that has you speechless has me concerned.

WEIR You're going to be fine.

SHEPPARD Wow. That's dead man talk.

WEIR No, it isn't.

SHEPPARD (showing the growth on his arm) Have you seen this?

WEIR Beckett is going to figure this one out.

SHEPPARD I think I already have. You know who I'm starting to feel like? Ford.

WEIR Yeah, what happened to you is completely different.

SHEPPARD I know, I know. Still, I can feel it. I mean, I can feel it changing me inside, like he did.

WEIR I don't think that's even possible. Look, you're very worried&mdash;

SHEPPARD (lightly) No, no. No, it's uh&hellip;one of the best weeks of my life was when I got my wisdom teeth out. I was on codeine for a full seven days. This is kind of the same. I know I should be in pain, or at the very least freaked out by this, and I'm not&hellip;And that freaks me out more than anything.

WEIR We're going to beat this.

SHEPPARD "We're going to beat this"? "Beckett will figure this out. You're going to be fine"? You really suck at the whole bedside manner thing.

WEIR I'm know. I'm sorry.

SHEPPARD But I appreciate the effort.

INT&mdash;BRIEFING ROOM

[Scientists and Beckett have set up in the room with laptops and white boards.]

SCIENTIST #1 No. No. That would only work if the retrovirus was doing what we had originally intended it to do.

SCIENTIST #2 I disagree. You are not taking into account what's happening to his somatic cells.

SCIENTIST #1 The only thing I have to take into account is how off you are, and I don't think I'm the only one who sees that. So, let's move on.

BECKETT Wait, wait, wait. Oh, God&hellip; We're looking at this all wrong. The best idea we've had so far is to try to repair his system on the genetic level by administering a massive, cloned embryonic stem cell treatment.

SCIENTIST #2 I still think it's our best bet.

SCIENTIST #1 Introducing more human genetic material into his body is only going to give the retrovirus more fuel. I don't know how much simpler I can say that.

BECKETT Yes, yes, I agree. That's why we have to use the iratus bug stem cells.

SCIENTIST #1 I'm sorry?

BECKETT The iratus bug stem cell, programmed with human RNA, wouldn't get rejected by his system, and would be practically ignored by the current strain of retrovirus.

SCIENTIST #2 We attack it from the inside.

BECKETT Exactly. It would be like our own magic bullet that could navigate the retrovirus and start to repair his mutated cells.

SCIENTIST #2 The only bug pieces we have are from a sample that died a year ago. I have no doubt we could program the cells if we had them, but we do not have the time to artificially produce a gene therapy of that kind of volume.

[Beckett considers this for a moment.]

BECKETT Which means, ladies and gentlemen, we need to go on an egg hunt.

INT&mdash;CALDWELL'S OFFICE

[Caldwell works at a laptop. Weir enters, and he starts to stand.]

WEIR It's okay. Sit. Please.

CALDWELL How's the Colonel?

WEIR Not very well.

CALDWELL I'm sorry to hear that.

WEIR Yeah, so am I. I think it would be best if you do assume Colonel Sheppard's duties, until he&mdash;

CALDWELL Consider it done.

WEIR Just until he's back on his feet.

[She starts to leave, but he speaks again and she turns around.]

CALDWELL You two are pretty close, aren't you?

WEIR Well, we've been through a lot together, yes.

CALDWELL You've got the best team in two galaxies working on a way to get him back to normal. My money's on success. And if you need someone to talk to&mdash;

WEIR (businesslike) If you could assume those duties effective immediately&hellip;

CALDWELL I can do that.

WEIR Thank you.

[She leaves. Caldwell contemplates.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;BRIEFING ROOM

[McKay meets with Weir, Beckett, and Lorne.]

MCKAY The Ancient database has quite a lot of information about the iratus bug. We know what planet it's on, we know that it likes cool, damp, dark places to lay its eggs. It shouldn't be that hard to locate.

WEIR Wait a minute. The last time we ran into one of these things, we almost lost Sheppard. How do you expect to just walk right into one of their nests?

BECKETT I don't see that we have any other choice. We need the iratus stem cells. The best stem cells come from embryos. With them, we actually have a chance of saving Colonel Sheppard. Without them, he'll die.

WEIR And this is the only option we have?

BECKETT And time's an issue as well.

WEIR You have no idea what will happen.

BECKETT There's only one certainty&mdash;what will happen if we do nothing.

LORNE We all understand the risks, Dr. Weir. And I believe that Colonel Sheppard would do the same for any one of us.

WEIR Permission granted.

BECKETT I need an hour to get my things together.

LORNE Okay, gear up. One hour.

[They leave Weir.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;WEIR'S OFFICE

[Weir enters. Sheppard arrives, with a marine behind him. He's now dressed in civilian clothing.]

SHEPPARD Look. I made a new friend.

WEIR It's only protocol.

SHEPPARD That's your answer for everything.

WEIR You look well.

[She sees that his right hand has transformed to be like Ellia's. He puts it in his pocket. THe right side of his neck is also transforming.]

WEIR Should you be out of bed?

SHEPPARD I was going a little crazy down there, so they said I could walk around for a bit.

WEIR That's good.

SHEPPARD Yeah. Look, I'm trying to say I want to go on this mission.

WEIR Hey, you said yourself, you are not fit for any off-world activity.

SHEPPARD The inhibitor that Beckett's got me on, the one that's keeping me lucid, they keep having to up the dose.

WEIR I know. They told me.

SHEPPARD (becoming agitated) I don't know how much more time I have, but the last thing I want to do is sit on my&hellip; mutating hands, while my team puts their lives on the line trying to find me a cure! I should be with them.

WEIR No. I'm sorry.

SHEPPARD What's the worst that can happen? I die?

WEIR You could compromise the mission. They have enough things to worry about&mdash;

SHEPPARD So, what? What? Suddenly, I'm a liability?

WEIR Your condition can change rapidly&mdash;

SHEPPARD I know, and I know I can do this.

WEIR I'm glad you feel that way, but it would be irresponsible of&mdash;

SHEPPARD This is my life we're talking about.

WEIR I know that.

SHEPPARD I'm going on that mission.

WEIR No, John, you're not.

SHEPPARD Damn it!

[He turns and puts his right hand through the office glass wall, shattering it. The marine raises his weapon. Weir rushes to stop him.]

WEIR It's okay! Put it down.

SHEPPARD I'm betting that didn't sell you.

WEIR No. No, not really.

SHEPPARD I should go back to the infirmary.

WEIR Yes.

[He leaves with the marine.]

EXT&mdash;PLANET, DAY

[The team searches the planet, Ronon leading. Teyla, McKay, Beckett, Lorne and others are there.]

LORNE So, what are we looking for?

MCKAY According to the Ancient database, probably a cave. Cool, damp, and dark, which I translate to "scary, awful, bad."

RONON They wouldn't want their nests out in the open. A cave keeps the eggs away from the predators.

MCKAY I always figured they were the predator.

RONON I guarantee there's something out here worse.

MCKAY Really?

RONON They've got to feed on something.

MCKAY Thank you. Thank you for that.

RONON You're welcome.

LORNE The foot of that mountain range starts about a mile up this way. That's probably our best bet for caves.

BECKETT Agreed.

LORNE Okay, let's pick up the pace.

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;CALDWELL'S OFFICE

[Caldwell is meeting with a special ops soldier. Weir bursts in.]

WEIR What do you think you're doing?

CALDWELL Sergeant, you want to give us a minute, please?

[The Sergeant leaves.]

CALDWELL What's the problem?

[Weir holds up a tablet computer.]

WEIR This. This is the problem. "Memo to all Atlantis personnel regarding new security protocols"?

CALDWELL Is there a part there that you disagree with in particular?

WEIR You are just keeping Sheppard's chair warm, Colonel. Don't lose sight of that.

CALDWELL Look, he's done a good job here. There's just some rookie mistakes that I thought needed fixing.

WEIR So you went ahead and changed them without talking to me.

CALDWELL I don't need to check with you about how I run the military operations on this base, ma'am.

WEIR They tell me you're also thinking of rearranging the off-world teams.

CALDWELL Again, Sheppard had things a little backwards. I figure, while I'm here&mdash;

WEIR Well, you figured wrong.

CALDWELL There's no telling when Sheppard's going to be better. None of the estimates that I've heard are "soon." On the contrary, I think I may be doing a little more than keeping the Colonel's chair warm, ma'am. I mean, just look at his scheduling, labor distribution&hellip;

WEIR I don't need to.

CALDWELL Well somebody needed to.

WEIR Do you think I don't know what you're doing?

CALDWELL I'm trying to improve things.

WEIR Look, I'm not saying that you're wrong, or even that I object to all of these changes.

CALDWELL Excuse me? Because I thought that's exactly&mdash;

WEIR You could have waited a week, or even a day. You making sweeping changes to the way John Sheppard runs things just hours after you've been assigned to this position sends only one message&mdash;that he's not coming back.

[Weir leaves.]

EXT&mdash;PLANET, DAY

[The team is at the entrance to a cave. They all have night vision goggles on their heads, although they are not wearing them.]

LORNE You think this is it?

BECKETT It certainly smells like there's something living in there.

MCKAY Yeah, or dying.

TEYLA I cannot see that far into the cave.

[Ronon picks up some matter from the ground and smells it.]

MCKAY Oh, well that is disgusting.

RONON They're in there.

MCKAY And you had to pick it up and smell it to figure that out.

RONON To know it's recent.

MCKAY Well, how recent?

LORNE So, what's the plan?

BECKETT Well, we go in there, we get some eggs, and then we come out.

LORNE Okay. Ronon, Teyla you're on point with me. Walker, Stevens, you take our six. Docs just stay in the middle and try not to get bit, okay?

MCKAY Well, maybe someone should, um&hellip;stay out here.

RONON So that you're all alone when a dozen of them come stampeding out of here?

MCKAY I'm in the middle.

RONON Let's do it.

[They lower their goggles and enter.]

INT&mdash;CAVE ON PLANET

RONON Hear that?

[There is a squishy sound with chirping.]

TEYLA Yes.

LORNE Looks like we've got the right address.

[McKay zips up his collar around his neck.]

BECKETT You don't seriously think that's going to help, do you?

MCKAY Yeah, when they see your neck before mine, you won't think it's stupid.

TEYLA Where are these eggs supposed to be?

BECKETT The database says they have a central nest. I'm hoping we'll know it when we see it.

INT&mdash;OUTSIDE SHEPPARD'S QUARTERS

[The marine stands guard outside Sheppard's quarters. Weir approaches and opens the door. It is dark inside.]

WEIR John?

[She starts to turn on the lights.]

SHEPPARD Leave them off.

[Sheppard is sitting on the far side of his bed, his back to the door.]

WEIR What?

SHEPPARD The lights. Leave the lights off.

[The door closes; the marine remains outside.]

WEIR Okay. I thought I should come by and practice my bedside manner. How are you?

SHEPPARD My body's mutating into a bug. How are you?

WEIR Would you like an update on your team's progress? They've found an iratus cave, and they've headed in.

SHEPPARD Good.

WEIR They should locate some eggs and be back here in no time.

SHEPPARD No time.

WEIR Yes.

SHEPPARD Then what?

[As she speaks he turns his head so she can't see the right side of his face.]

WEIR Honestly, I don't know. Hey, are you all right? Would you like me to call someone?

SHEPPARD Who would you call?

WEIR If you need to see a doctor&mdash;

SHEPPARD I need a bigger security detail.

WEIR Excuse me?

SHEPPARD At least two men stationed at my door. Sooner rather than later.

WEIR What are you talking about?

SHEPPARD Just trust me, Elizabeth. You're going to need it.

WEIR Listen, John&mdash;

[He turns to face her. The right side of his neck and lower face are now covered with the blue scales, and his right eye has changed color.]

WEIR Oh, my God.

SHEPPARD They need to hurry.

WEIR You should be in the infirmary.

SHEPPARD The infirmary isn't secure. The inhibitor is only keeping me lucid. It's not slowing the retrovirus.

WEIR Still&mdash;

[He stands and confronts her.]

SHEPPARD Don't argue with me! I'm not safe to be around anymore. Get some more men at my door, and get the hell out of here.

WEIR Okay. Okay.

[She steps away, opens the door and approaches the marine.]

WEIR Double the detail.

SECURITY OFFICER #1 (into radio) Code one-six.

INT&mdash;CAVE ON PLANET

[The team arrives at a cavern in which the floor is covered with a mass of iratus bugs.]

LORNE Doc&hellip;

BECKETT Good God. I think this is it.

[With their goggles they see eggs hanging from the roof.]

LORNE So how do we want to play this?

RONON They'll defend their young.

MCKAY Maybe we should make a diversion.

LORNE Are you volunteering?

MCKAY I'll shut up.

TEYLA I do not believe we can get close enough to retrieve the eggs without these creatures attacking.

BECKETT (holding up a tool to retrieve an egg) I have this, but I need to get under that. Hand me that water canister. If there's one thing we know about these little buggers, it's that they hate salt water.

LORNE How's that going to help us?

BECKETT Just watch.

[Beckett starts to pour salt water on the bugs, forcing them back.]

MCKAY See? Not so stupid.

BECKETT Ah, shut it.

[Beckett gets the long tool and starts to move forward.]

LORNE (warningly) Doc&hellip;

BECKETT We've come this far.

RONON Heads up!

[A bug descends from the ceiling. Ronon sees it and fires on it. The other bugs become agitated.]

BECKETT Oh, crap.

TEYLA Carson, run!

[Ronon, Teyla, Lorne, and the other personnel start firing on the bugs. The all start retreating.]

INT&mdash;CAVE ON PLANET

[They retreat through the narrow passages.]

LORNE Let's go! Come on! Get out of here! Don't look back! Don't look back! Come on! Walker, Stevens, get the hell out of there!

[Men scream in the distance.]

LORNE Walker, Stevens, do you copy? Fire in the hole! Let's go!

[Lorne pulls the pin on a grenade and throws it. They run.]

EXT&mdash;ENTRANCE TO CAVE, DAY

[They run out of the cave and are thrown to the ground by the force of the explosion. The other two marines are not there.]

RONON I think that stopped them.

[They all get up.]

LORNE We're not sticking around to find out. I'm pulling the plug on this mission. Let's get back to the gate.

BECKETT We can't give up.

LORNE We just lost two men in there, Doc. So unless you can find another way to get those eggs out of there, we're done. Understand? Let's go.

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, NIGHT

INT&mdash;WEIR'S OFFICE

[Beckett briefs Weir.]

BECKETT The nest is incredibly well-protected. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of them. I just don't think it's possible.

WEIR So where does that leave us?

BECKETT Without the stem cells, our plan is not promising.

WEIR Okay. I'll tell him.

INT&mdash;OUTSIDE SHEPPARD'S QUARTERS

[Weir arrives.]

WEIR How is he?

SECURITY OFFICER #2 I wouldn't go in there, ma'am.

WEIR I'll be fine.

[She opens the door and enters. Sheppard is not visible.]

WEIR John?

[Weir signals to the marine to close the door behind her, which he does.]

WEIR So this is when I usually ask you a stupid question, like, "How are you feeling?" John? John? Our team got back from the mission.

[She turns to find Sheppard right in front of him. Most of his face and both eyes are now transformed.]

WEIR The nest was too well-protected. We were unable to retrieve the eggs. They tried their best.

SHEPPARD Best?

WEIR The bugs attacked&mdash;

SHEPPARD Try again.

WEIR I can't do that.

SHEPPARD Why?

WEIR John&mdash;

SHEPPARD No.

WEIR I understand&mdash;

SHEPPARD If you won't&hellip;then kill me now.

WEIR John&hellip;

SHEPPARD It's better for the both of us.

WEIR I can't do that.

SHEPPARD Then try again.

[He grabs her and pushes her against a wall, grabbing her by the throat.]

WEIR (struggling to speak) We lost Walker and Stevens. I won't send another team. I won't risk more lives!

[Sheppard squeezes harder for a moment, then lets her drop. He leaves the room and disables the two security officers. Weird gets up and goes outside the room.]

WEIR (into radio) This is Weir. We have a security breach. Colonel Sheppard's quarters.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Caldwell and many personnel have gathered. They look at a large display where Sheppard's transmitter shows his position.]

MCKAY Okay. We've got a lock on him.

CALDWELL That can't be him. It's moving too fast.

RONON It's him.

CALDWELL All right. Four teams. Surround him and close in. I want him stopped, and gentlemen use whatever level of force you deem necessary. Move out.

WEIR You will only use such force as a last resort.

CALDWELL That's not Sheppard anymore, ma'am.

WEIR You heard me.

RONON (to Teyla) You coming?

TEYLA Yes.

WEIR Lock down the Stargate.

MCKAY Right.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Sheppard grabs a scientist from inside the transporter and throws him to the floor. He gets in the transporter.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[They see that Sheppard has transported.]

CALDWELL I thought you said that he couldn't use the transporters.

MCKAY I said I doubted he was lucid enough.

CALDWELL Well, shut them down. He's not going to do it again.

MCKAY Thus stranding your search teams.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Ronon, Teyla, and other soldiers search.]

CALDWELL (over radio) Bravo Team, you're on deck. Our tango is on the floor right below you.

BRAVO LEADER You heard the man. Down the stairs.

[Ronon takes off in another direction.]

TEYLA Ronon, where are you going?

BRAVO LEADER Let him go.

[The team goes down the stairs.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

MCKAY Bravo Team and Sheppard are in the same room.

CALDWELL (into radio) Stay sharp. He should be right there with you.

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS LOWER LEVEL

[Bravo Team doesn't see him. Ronon steps back into an alcove on the next level up.]

BRAVO LEADER Anyone have a visual?

[Teyla sees Sheppard climbing the metal scaffolding very quickly.]

TEYLA Above us!

[Sheppard drops down from the ceiling into the middle of Bravo Team. He takes out two members with his hands. Two others fire stunners at him, but they have no effect. They pull their guns. Sheppard jumps on them and takes them out. Sheppard starts to run up the stairs, but Teyla yells to him.]

TEYLA Colonel!

[He turns around and starts to approach her. She aims her P-90 at him.]

TEYLA Please. Do not make me do this.

[She fires a warning shot at the floor. He steps down closer. She fires an extended burst at the stairs below him. He turns and runs.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS LOWER LEVEL

[Sheppard runs down the corridor. Ronon steps out and stuns him twice. He falls to the floor. Teyla arrives.]

RONON Get the doctor down here. I have him.

[Sheppard is lying motionless, his eyes open.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Sheppard is restrained to a bed, his left hand now transformed.]

BECKETT I've put him in a medically induced coma for now. I was afraid he might break through the restraints.

CALDWELL That's a good call, Doctor.

WEIR So, what now?

BECKETT The retrovirus has wreaked havoc on his system, and it's taking over.

WEIR What does that mean?

BECKETT It means if we don't find a way to stop the retrovirus in the next 24 hours, what is left of the John Sheppard we know will be gone.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS MESS HALL

[Ronon, Teyla and McKay are gathered, McKay eating.]

WEIR You guys are up late.

MCKAY Can't sleep either?

TEYLA Any progress?

WEIR No. He's still in a coma. At least he isn't in any pain.

RONON Maybe if I went alone, maybe&mdash;

WEIR It's not open for discussion.

RONAN I'm not good at sitting still.

WEIR I understand. Believe me, I appreciate how you feel. Look, we have closed down that section of the infirmary but if you feel the need to&hellip; What I mean to say is if you would like to have a private goodbye, you should probably do it soon.

MCKAY (upset) Are we really there?

WEIR (somberly) I think we might be.

BECKETT (over radio) Dr. Weir, I need to speak to you immediately.

WEIR (into radio) What is it?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

BECKETT (into radio) Meet me in your office. I think I have an idea.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS MESS HALL

[They all rush out.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Beckett meets them arriving.]

BECKETT I'm sorry. It just came to me. The fact that his mutation has progressed as far as it has may be his salvation.

WEIR Explain that.

BECKETT His sweat glands are actually producing trace amounts of their signature pheromone.

WEIR And?

BECKETT When we were in the cave, those bugs knew we didn't belong there. So they didn't really fancy us getting close to their nest.

MCKAY Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I see where you're going with this. If we can artificially create the pheromone, we might be able to confuse them enough to leave us alone.

BECKETT Aye, that would work.

WEIR Well, that's an excellent plan, Carson.

BECKETT I wish it was.

RONAN You can't do that in time?

BECKETT No. It would take days.

WEIR But you said Sheppard only had 24 hours before the damage the retrovirus is causing would be irreparable.

BECKETT Exactly.

MCKAY Well, then that's a terrible plan, Carson.

BECKETT There's only one person on this base that wouldn't need the artificial pheromone.

WEIR (surprised) Sheppard?

BECKETT He could walk right into that cave, and those bugs wouldn't pay him any mind.

MCKAY Um, I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, but Colonel Sheppard's not feeling very well.

BECKETT He stopped taking the inhibitor we were administering. It was able to keep him lucid.

WEIR I thought its effectiveness had worn off.

BECKETT True, but I believe if we give him a massive dose, he may be clear-headed enough to complete the mission before we lose him completely.

MCKAY Yeah, but won't giving him that much inhibitor, like&hellip;

BECKETT Kill him? Yes, it's a definite possibility. Even if I knew it would for certain, I'd be tempted to offer him one last hour of lucidity.

WEIR Do it. Gear up. Take him as far as the cave.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Sheppard comes awake with a start, his transformed eyes wide open.]

WEIR John? John&hellip;

[He looks at her.]

WEIR Hey. You're in the infirmary.

BECKETT Sorry about the headache. It's a side effect of the inhibitor.

SHEPPARD Did I hurt anyone?

WEIR No, not seriously.

SHEPPARD Did Ronon shoot me?

WEIR You had it coming. Look, we don't have a lot of time. This dose of the inhibitor drug will only last about an hour. How would you like to go on a mission?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS GATE ROOM

[The Stargate is active. Teyla, McKay, and Ronon approach the 'gate.]

MCKAY Now, you realize that you may have to, uh&hellip;

RONON It's already set to stun.

[Weir, Sheppard, and Beckett arrive. Sheppard is wearing a hooded cloak.]

WEIR He's ready.

MCKAY Good to see you up and, uh&hellip;about.

[Sheppard walks past him without looking at him.]

BECKETT All right, come on. We don't have a lot of time.

[They all enter the wormhole.]

WEIR Good luck.

EXT&mdash;WORMHOLE TRAVEL

EXT&mdash;ENTRANCE TO CAVE ON PLANET

[Beckett instructs Sheppard.]

BECKETT Use this, and collect as many as you can. Oh, God. At least a container full. Do you understand?

[After a moment, Sheppard takes the container from Beckett.]

TEYLA Colonel Sheppard? You know that we cannot go in there with you, but you need to hurry. It took us a little longer to get here than we would have liked.

[He walks past her into the cave.]

INT&mdash;CAVE ON PLANET

[Sheppard arrives at the cavern. He takes off his robe, pulls out a flare, and tosses it into the cavern. It illuminates the many bugs. He walks across them to where the eggs are hanging. He jumps vertically and latches onto a large egg sac. He rips into it.]

EXT&mdash;ENTRANCE TO CAVE ON PLANET

[Beckett's watch alarm goes off.]

MCKAY What is that?

BECKETT That's how long I estimated the inhibitor would work.

RONON So that means he's&hellip;

BECKETT There's no way to know for certain.

INT&mdash;CAVE ON PLANET

[Sheppard finishes and jumps to the ground. He puts the top on the container, which is full of eggs. He grimaces and falls in pain.]

INT&mdash;CAVE ON PLANET

RONON We should go in.

MCKAY And do what?

TEYLA If the inhibitor has worn off&mdash;

BECKETT Then he's beyond our help.

RONON I hear something.

TEYLA Colonel!

[Sheppard comes running out of the cave, grunting. He knocks Ronon over. Ronon stuns him, and he falls to the ground, unconscious.]

TEYLA Do you have enough?

[Beckett checks the container.]

BECKETT Aye, I think so.

[Ronon picks up Sheppard and they all rush off.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, EVENING

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Beckett comes out from a curtained area.]

BECKETT It's not going to happen overnight, you can bet on that, but the transformation has begun to reverse itself.

CALDWELL So eventually he'll be back in uniform.

BECKETT Eventually.

MCKAY Well done, Carson for once again elevating medicine to actual science.

BECKETT Well, thank you, Rodney.

WEIR You'll finally be able to get some sleep. Keep me posted.

BECKETT All right.

RONON We might, uh&hellip;

TEYLA Stay a while.

MCKAY Well, if that's all right.

BECKETT Of course.

[Inside the curtained area, Sheppard sleeps.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Caldwell and Weir walk together.]

CALDWELL If and when Colonel Sheppard resumes his duties, I hope he'll consider some of the changes that I've made.

WEIR When he does, that will be up to him.

CALDWELL Of course, and Daedalus will head back to Earth in less than a week. I'll be out of your hair in no time.

WEIR We'll try to manage without you till you get back.

[She starts to walk away from him.]

CALDWELL Despite what you may think of my intentions, Dr. Weir, I'm not your enemy.

WEIR Believe me, Colonel&hellip;you don't want to be.

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, EVENING

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS TRAINING ROOM

[Teyla trains a female crew-member.] TEYLA Good. Lift, lock, serpentine, lock, and hold. Understood?

[The door opens, and Sheppard steps in. He looks normal again. He's wearing civilian clothing.]

TEYLA Colonel.

[She touches foreheads with the woman, who leaves.]

TEYLA Should you be up and about?

SHEPPARD Hey, I've been cooped up in that damn infirmary for a couple of weeks. Give me a break.

[He walks over and picks up two bantos rods.]

TEYLA You are looking well. Are you feeling more like yourself?

SHEPPARD Well, according to my DNA, I'm one hundred percent John Sheppard again although, I've got to say I'm looking forward to getting rid of this thing one day.

[He shows his right forearm, which still has some blue discoloration.]

SHEPPARD Doc says it'll clear up eventually. So listen&hellip;while I've been lying there the past few weeks, I've been remembering things&hellip; Some things I might have done that you could call out of character.

TEYLA You mean when you attacked the security detail?

SHEPPARD Yeah, that was one of them.

TEYLA (smiling) Yes.

SHEPPARD There is another thing I should probably apologize for.

TEYLA Give it no further thought.

SHEPPARD (relieved) Good. I won't.

TEYLA Nice to have you back&hellip;John.

[She leaves. He twirls the rods absently.]

FADE OUT

END CREDITS

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