Tao of Rodney

"Tao of Rodney" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of Stargate Atlantis.

Plot
In order to conserve power, Rodney McKay and a scientist crew (including Zelenka) are heading through a recently flooded area of the city, shutting down systems recently activated by the ancients during their short period of controlling the city.

Rodney powers up the machine and is suddenly surrounded and circled by a giant spiral of what appears to be DNA or some sort of energy (then subsequently gets hit by bolts of electricity from the machine) and stands there, surprised. Everything appears normal, except for the fact that Rodney just survived a few lightning strikes with no damage to his body.

Later, Rodney discovers that his hearing has improved greatly, and he overhears the team talking about him, so he grabs his tablet, which has moved across the table into his hands, and walks over there and has a very minor rant. An announcement comes over the Atlantis PA system calling Colonel Sheppard and his team to the gateroom/control room. There they receive a transmission from Major Lorne's team. They are under attack with enemy soldiers closing in fast. After they head out to start the rescue, Zelenka talks to Dr. Weir. He has discovered that the device is designed to manipulate human DNA (a DNA Resequencer, presumably)

Sheppard's team returns with Major Lorne and according to Rodney, he "thought 'wouldn't it be great if all their weapons jammed all at once?' and then it just happened". Dr. Weir, of course, does not believe him, and neither does anyone else, so to prove it, he uses his telekinesis to pick up Carson Beckett right off the floor. Everyone stares at Rodney. Weir tells Rodney to put him down, which he promptly does.

Rodney is in the infirmary on a bed, hooked up to a vitals monitor, and a few other machines. Apparently there is a dramatic increase in synaptic interaction throughout all the sections of the brain, much higher than normal levels. Weir mentions an incident at the S.G.C (Stargate Command) "just over a year ago" where they found a highly evolved being in stasis, caused by altering of the DNA by a DNA Resequencer by a Goa'uld named Anubis, designed to artificially accelerate the human physiology to the point of ascension.

Rodney stays a while in the infirmary, and then is let out with Ronon Dex keeping him company. He discovers he can read people's minds, so he heads to Dr. Weir's office and 'asks' permission to utilize the control chair of the city and reconfigure the power systems to increase the efficiency of the ZPM, as it will dramatically lower the city's power usage, and thus increase the ZPM's life. While he is fiddling with it, the lights in the DNA Resequencer lab where Zelenka is trying to fix the device (it was damaged in the initial explosions/lightning when Rodney had his DNA resequenced), go out. He heads to the control chair room to talk to Rodney, but Rodney is arrogant and keeps working. Zelenka heads back to the lab, very angry at Rodney. Weir is going over the research log that the Ancients left behind, in her office, when Sheppard walks in and asks how she's going with it, she says she's just getting to what she thinks might be the "good bit". Sheppard leaves, but before he goes, Weir says that they need to talk to Rodney right away.

They walk into the control chair room and Rodney reads their minds. He realizes what is happening: If he does not ascend near the peak of the evolution, he will die soon afterwards. He is faced with a choice: Ascend or die. At this point, a massive power surge starts going through the city – Zelenka is struck by a bolt of electricity and badly wounded. He is rushed to the infirmary and has a massive wound, in very unstable and critical condition, with no pulse. Beckett prepares the paddles. Rodney tells Beckett to "MOVE!" and Beckett protests that "the man is dying!" and Rodney says "I know, just give me a second". A look of concentration comes over Rodney's face as he puts his hands above the wound. It begins to heal very quickly. In a few seconds the wound is gone. When the wound is healed, Rodney is amazed that he could do it. In a panic, he runs out of the infirmary; probably scared of what other powers he has and to continue his scientific research into greater technologies.

Rodney goes on an inventing spree, inventing a new type of math, a way to increase the shield power on the Daedalus and designing a hyperdrive prototype for the Puddle Jumper.

Rodney goes through some emotional changes, realizing his fate is coming; he takes meditating lessons with Sheppard, who learned from the Ascension-seeking villagers he was trapped with in Epiphany, so that he will be ready when the time comes. He apologizes to Zelenka for being very mean to him during the past few years, and even calls him a "brilliant scientist". Zelenka is touched, and even a little confused as Rodney walks away.

Rodney also speaks with Teyla and helps her with the "tea ceremony for the anniversary of her father's death." He comments that "I know you're not supposed to do it alone." Teyla appreciates this sudden and strange show of compassion and caring. He then finds Ronon and asks him about the scars on his back from the Wraith. He asks, "Are those like a badge of honour or just a constant reminder of something you'd rather forget?". Ronon responds "I try not to let the things I can't change bother me". Rodney hugs Ronon and squeezes him tightly for a few seconds, and then says "Hope you don't mind… I just healed them." He also typed out a 500 page book for Elizabeth of all the "good things [she's] done".

Eventually Rodney ends up back in the infirmary, as his body starts to die: the advanced cerebral cortex is affecting the lower functions of the brain and his body is losing its natural ability to keep itself alive. Rodney and Sheppard have another go at the meditation, and Rodney slowly sinks to the required level of activity.

He slowly goes to 1 Hz and suddenly his eyes open and he grabs Beckett violently. He lets him go and relaxes back into the bed. No pulse. Beckett says they need to bag him and get him on the ventilator. Weir protests, saying "He gave us strict orders to – " and Beckett cuts in "No, you don't understand. He just told me how to save him."

At the lab, they place Rodney in front of the controls, where he was resequenced before. The machine is turned on, and Rodney is returned to normal. Apparently (according to the now normal McKay) "The device was designed to manipulate your DNA, and it couldn't reverse the evolutionary process because everyone's DNA was different, it makes certain changes that cause the DNA to evolve, in-in ways specific to your own unique physiology." Zelenka cuts in: "In order to manipulate the DNA to its previous state, the program required a precise reference point." Beckett says "Fortunately we keep blood samples from all the Atlantis team members for base-length comparisons."

Rodney is back to normal, and is no longer "a dead man", however he has regrettably lost all his newfound powers, including the ability to understand the theoretical work he did while he was "advanced".