Time

"Time" is the eighth episode of the first season of Stargate Universe.

Synopsis
An away team comes to gather food on an alien planet. However, an illness cripples the team forcing them into quarantine. Tensions grow when Eli and Rush discover that returning to Destiny may never be possible.

Prologue
A group of around 80 unprepared soldiers, scientists and civilians evacuate Icarus Base to the Ancient spaceship Destiny, located several billion light years from Earth, and are trapped there; the ship doesn't have enough power to dial such distances. At one time, water becomes scarce. In order to solve this problem, they visited an ice planet and managed to bring some ice back.

Plot
An away team consisting of Chloe Armstrong, Adam Brody, Jeremy Franklin, Ronald Greer, Vanessa James, Tamara Johansen, Lisa Park, Nicholas Rush, Matthew Scott, Dale Volker, Eli Wallace, Spencer and Marsden travels through the Stargate to a jungle planet. Eli brought the Kino with him, and is documenting the team's actions as they get to work. They went to the planet to find any suitable fruits and food nearby and see if it is safe to eat, or even edible, and then take them back to Destiny. Eli tests out one, but spits it out. Rush tells him not to eat any more due to possible hazards in the food, so they could single some out. Just then, TJ hears that Volker is feeling unwell. However, he has not touched any fruit. Moments, Chloe faints; she is also feeling unwell. She tells TJ that the illness felt sudden. TJ thinks that going back to the Destiny is a bad idea, as they could be spreading the infection. With 36 hours until Destiny leaves, TJ wants the team to stay on the planet until further notice.

Sometime later, the Stargate is dialed; TJ reports to Colonel Everett Young about the nature of the illness, and requests a quarantine until she learns more, as well as have him let her know if anybody on board have gained any symptoms to rule out the planet as the source. Young orders her and Scott to dial in every hour for updates. After a while, the team just wait near the Stargate. Greer is playing some music on a player he brought with him. Scott finds it annoying and asks him to shut it off; Greer complies. The Kino zooms in to a conversation between Rush and TJ about the illness. In the conversation, Rush learns that TJ is using up much of the little antibiotics merely on a hunch of hers. Later, Greer guides Rush, Scott and Eli to a mound almost as tall as the team members that he has found around the foliage near the Stargate. They realize the mound is emitting a strong odor of what Rush believes is sulfur. As he covers his nose and mouth, he looks down the hole, but backs away to investigate.

More time passes. It is raining heavily during the night, to the team put covers over them. Eli shares a cover with Rush. To pass the time, Eli wants to talk about the top five moves they'd bring with them on a desert island. Rush doesn't talk, but Eli starts naming the films, until he realizes he should go with ten, as he enjoys several movies. As he continues, they hear Lt. James is starting to exhibit similar symptoms as Chloe and Volker. TJ notices Scott is feeling a little unwell, though he insists he is not.

Just then, they hear skittering noises. The Kino turns to see Brody being viciously attacked by an alien creature. In response, the military personnel see more in the area and immediately start firing their automatic weapons. Rush and Eli dial the Stargate to evacuate. However, the event horizon just flutters; Rush doesn't know why this is happening, but they cannot reach Destiny. As the firing continues, Scott is attacked, but Greer is able to pull the creature out and kill it before Scott is fatally wounded. A stray bullet hits the Kino, causing it to land on the ground. It sees a creature burrowing right through Chloe's torso. After she lies dead on the floor, the creature bursts out of her back. Afterward, the footage is paused.

The scene cuts away to the Kino room. Several people including Rush, Scott, Eli, and a very much alive Chloe are looking at the footage. Highly disturbed by what she saw, Chloe quickly runs out to vomit. It is revealed that a few hours ago, when Destiny dropped out of FTL within range of the planet, the same team went through and spent no longer than half an hour there. Eli found an old, damaged Kino with its data bank full, and Rush found human skeletal remains (later revealed to be his own). Park and Brody hear about the mysterious Kino, as do James, Spencer and Darren Becker in the Mess hall. Chloe recovers and returns to the Kino room. To investigate more, the team decide to continue watching, though Chloe asks to fast forward the footage of her dead body. Also, TJ requests to Young that they quarantine everyone who went to the planet.

In the recording, an upset and disturbed Eli reactivates the Kino, now rendered flightless from the same stray bullet. He says that much of the team are dead, including Chloe, Spencer, Marsden, James and Brody (only he, Rush, Franklin, TJ, Scott and Greer remain). While he continues with what transpired, he tapes the Kino to a helmet so he won't have to carry it. He says the creatures seem to be nocturnal, as they retreated to their mounds when day broke. The assault has resulted in the team expending most of their ammunition. The Stargate is still mysteriously defective; the wormhole is unstable, and Rush believes they cannot risk going through, nor can they contact Destiny. Hopefully it would be sorted out before night falls again, or at most the 22 hours they have until the ship leaves. He also reveals that Volker died, but not from the creatures. Lt. Scott is now in a coma from the attack. By this point, the "real" Greer leaves those who are watching, unwilling to accept that he was powerless to prevent their deaths, regardless of whether or not the events actually happened, and does not want to discover the outcome.

Greer has found a cave nearby, which should increase their chances somewhat should they be forced to stay another night; they would no longer worry about being ambushed from all sides. Eli helps carry some bags, as well as carry one side of the stretcher to carry Scott to the cave. When they arrive, Eli sits next to TJ, to tell her he greatly respects people like her, and can tell it really affects her when she is unable to help people. He tells her that his mother was a nurse; when he was 14 years old, she was stuck with a needle whilst she attempted to restrain a junkie, and got HIV as a result. His father then left upon hearing the news. He then asks about her family; she has both parents, and her father was a tailor; he taught her how to do stitches. She also has a sister, who has two children, and misses them. Eli admits that he is worried that is mother would give up if he dies. The recording garnered some sympathy from the crew mates watching the recording.

Next, after Rush helps out to mount a defensive position, Eli tells him that the first time he was aware that he will die was seeing his grandfather's funeral, and is scared at the thought that his consciousness was just going to end, and he'd spend the rest of eternity falling through a pitch black hole, and he is still not used to it. Rush explains that everyone becomes aware of their own mortality in their lives, and what he is feeling is not a unique experience. He then explains how the Ancients learned to ascend, allowing the soul to live on as pure energy. He realizes that no ordinary human could ever hope to achieve this, but seems to take comfort in the fact that it can be done, and adds that ascension was the reason he came to Destiny.

Meanwhile, Chloe in "reality" faints a similar way Chloe did earlier in the recording. Scott and Young send her to the infirmary, where other people, including Lt. James are also starting to complain about headaches. TJ is trying to help them. Young discovers that in the recording, Volker died from similar circumstances, and whoever feels the headaches may die within 12 hours. Some time after the next segment of the recording, people still show up with symptoms. However, with nowhere near enough beds, new entries are escorted to a makeshift ward. Park comes in with headaches, and despite little supply, TJ gives her some antibiotics.

In the recording, Greer is teaching Eli how to handle an M-4 rifle, and gives it to him so he can test fire, but should take short bursts, since their ammunition is low. However, Eli more or less fires a long continues burst, due to the nervousness from firing for the first time. Later, he follows Greer to one of the mounds, which is confirmed to be the home of the creatures. He puts down a block of C-4. After they retreat to a safe distance, Greer detonates the C-4; the Kino records the explosion. Greer later goes round to do the same to other mounds, hopefully bringing up the odds of survival in their favour. However, Rush still can't figure out what is wrong with the Stargate, and believes that going through would most likely kill them, so they have to endure another night.

Eventually, night falls again. The survivors mount several flashlights to improve their chances of seeing the creatures. Greer, Rush and Eli are armed with rifles to keep watch. After a while, the flashlight behind Eli dies out. Eli responds by activating night-vision on the Kino to see better. Moments later, the Kino picks up several heat signatures; the creatures are advancing to the defensive position. The three start firing steadily at the creatures and keep them at bay. However, in the process, Eli's M-4 jams, and he believes they won't survive. By then, some creatures make it through, but TJ is able to shoot them with her sidearm.

Later, Rush expends all his ammunition. Believing there is no other alternative, he grabs a remote control and runs through the dark, completely exposed. Eli follows him through the foliage, and eventually catches up to him. Rush has already dialed the Stargate, and decides to chance going through after all. He will radio them if he survives Stargate travel. Before he leaves, Rush tells Eli "For a moment there, I thought we were in trouble."

In reality, Eli is confused as to what that meant. Young explains the quote was said towards the end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, before the two were facing the Bolivian army, and Rush notes that he and Young do indeed have something in common after all; they both like the movie. In the recording, Eli fails to contact Destiny before the Stargate shuts down. With no other choice, he runs back to the cave, and witnesses Greer already attacked by the creatures. Before Eli continues watching, TJ enters and they stop the recording. She discovered the source; the illness is caused by a pathogen they brought back in the ice from "Hoth"; some of the ice wasn't decontaminated properly. Everybody has drunk the water, meaning everyone is infected. Since not everyone is feeling ill yet, TJ speculates that everybody's immune system is different. Though the incubation period varies, the infection is fatal once it gets strong enough to affect the nervous system.

In the recording, Scott finally awakes from his coma the following morning, but is highly upset and anguished after seeing the sight that everyone else is dead, and he is now the only survivor. After regaining his composure, he carries the Kino to the Stargate and tells records a message, saying that he is the only one left, and doesn't recall anything after he was bitten the first night. Despite that, he says that he doesn't feel the headaches and symptoms as before. Unfortunately, the Stargate is still fluttering, with only 45 minutes until Destiny leaves, he plans on sending the Kino, and after he hears from them, he will go through the Stargate regardless of whether he'd survive, since he will most likely be killed the following night. He sends the Kino through the Gate, but for some reason, the Kino ends up back on the planet, rolling down the ramp and stopping next to Rush's corpse.

The latest footage from the Kino recording allows Rush to figure out what happened; the wormhole disruption was caused by a solar flare, which redirected the wormhole back in time to the same location. The footage shows what would happen if normal conditions applied. Now that they found the Kino when they arrived, they changed the timeline. They dial the Stargate to see that the wormhole isn't disrupted yet. However, Rush has a feeling that they need to return to the planet. In fact, TJ plays back the footage where Scott says he no longer feels the effects of the virus. This leads her to think that the venom from the bites worked as a cure. With this new information, Young assembles a team to go back to the planet and find a creature, alive if possible. The Kino footage shows that it is nighttime on the planet, and like in the alternate timeline, is raining heavily. According to the timestamp, they have an hour until the solar flare occurs, but plan to return in 45 minutes to be safe. A team consisting of Young, Greer, Scott and Spencer go through.

Meanwhile, all the antibiotics are gone. Eli arrives in the infirmary to find Chloe's pulse is slowing down. Vanessa James succumbs to the virus and dies. After he sits next to her bed, Eli talks with an unconscious Chloe. He tells her his feelings towards her, and admits to never having a best friend before, and considers her to be one. He also tells her he will always be there for her. Lastly, he begs her not to die. However, by the time TJ checks her pulse again, she too is gone. Finding this too much bear, TJ retreats to a corridor alone and cries. Lisa Park approaches her in an attempt to console her.

Rush radios Young's team and tells them they already lost four people from the virus; Volker, Franklin, James and Chloe. News of Chloe's death starts to affect Scott, who pauses until Young snaps him out of it. Just as they continue looking, the team is ambushed by the nocturnal creatures. The first to fall is Greer. Despite the team firing back, Spencer, and soon Young follows. Scott is once again the only survivor. He decides to run back to the Stargate, emptying his rifle in the process. Rush is no longer able to contact the team, thinking they cannot be reached, or dead.

Scott dials the Stargate, and waits for the event horizon to flutter. During that time, he takes out a Kino and records a message, summarizing everything that is going to happen to the Destiny in our reality. He explains that they got a virus from Hoth, and that the deadly creatures are their best chance for the cure. He also explains they live in mounds, so they can find a live specimen during the day without getting attacked. After he sees the Stargate is malfunctioning, he prepares to send it though so that the team from our reality will find it and heed his warning. Before ending the transmission, he begs them to believe him, and urges them to act fast or everyone will die.

Notable Quotes
(Eli takes a rest, and notices Marsden looking at him) Eli: What? I need a break. It's so hot. All you're doing is standing there. Marsden: Making sure nothing crawls up your ass. Eli: And I appreciate that.

Alternate Eli: Do I need to point out yet again that documenting this could be important?! Eli: (sees the footage and agrees with him) See? See?

(After Eli sees Greer put a block of C-4 down a mound) Eli: You really think this is a good idea? Greer: Best defense is offense. (''takes cover to detonate the C-4) Fire in the hole. Eli: Yeah, literally.

Background notes

 * It is revealed in the Kino webisode "New Kind of Crazy" that in the current timeline, the two Kinos sent to the past in the two alternate timelines were found and examined. A team revisited the jungle planet (during the day, this time) and safely retrieved live specimens of the nocturnal creatures.
 * It is revealed in this episode that Maryann Wallace is suffering from HIV.
 * For some reason, Jeremy Franklin died a lot sooner in the reality shown in the episode than in the other alternate reality.
 * The song Greer played was "List of Demands" from.

International airdates

 * Canada: November 13, 2009 (Space)
 * United Kingdom: November 17, 2009 (Sky1)
 * Australia: November 20, 2009 (Sci Fi Australia)
 * Poland, Romania and the Balkans: February 11, 2010 (Sci Fi Channel)

Production

 * Joseph Mallozzi revealed that Robert C. Cooper would be writing the seventh episode in his blog on February 12, 2009 and revealed the title of the episode on February 17, 2009. However it seems the episodes have since been reordered (as Fire was broken into Darkness and Light).
 * The episode started filming at around May 22, 2009, where the episode would take place on a Jungle planet.
 * Much of this episode is shot from the perspective of the Kino.
 * In an interview with InnerSPACE (on the Space channel), Elyse Levesque mentioned that this episode was "a massive experiment" and that the crew invented camera contraptions to achieve some of the different filming techniques.

Ratings

 * United States: 1.802 million viewers, equals a 1.1/2 Household rating/share (0.7/2 18-49 rating/share). Also the fifth most viewed programme for Syfy the week it aired.
 * United Kingdom: 865,000, the second most viewed programme for Sky1 the week it aired.