First Contact/Transcript

Episode Guide
SGA 5.10 "First Contact Part 1" Episode Guide

Transcript
PREVIOUSLY ON STARGATE ATLANTIS

[Scenes from 5.08 "The Queen", and 1.15 "Before I Sleep" are shown.]

TEASER

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Sheppard and McKay walk down a corridor.]

MCKAY (petulant) I don't know what all the fuss is about. If we do this every time someone comes for a visit, we'd never get any work done.

SHEPPARD We're just meeting him at the 'gate.

MCKAY We're not just meeting him at the 'gate! I've been pulled from my regular duties to help him with his "database research." I've got stuff on the go, you know&mdash;important, vital projects for the-the betterment of the human race.

SHEPPARD Apparently there are other people doing equally important work, Rodney, as hard as that is to believe.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS GATE ROOM

[Sheppard and McKay join Woolsey in front of the Stargate.]

WOOLSEY An exciting day!

SHEPPARD Absolutely.

MCKAY (grumbling) Yeah.

CHUCK (calling from control room balcony) He's ready to beam!

WOOLSEY Very well.

[Daniel Jackson beams down in front of the Stargate. He is dressed in civilian clothes and carries two bags. He wears an elated smile.]

WOOLSEY Doctor Jackson, welcome to Atlantis.

DANIEL (excited) Thank you, Mr. Woolsey, it's great to be back. Colonel Sheppard. Rodney.

[McKay grumbles unintelligibly and makes a put-upon sigh.]

END TEASER

OPENING CREDITS

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Woolsey leads Daniel and McKay down the hall.]

WOOLSEY I'll have Rodney here show to your quarters. I'm sure&mdash;

DANIEL Actually, I'd like to get started right away, if that's okay with you, Rodney?

[McKay rolls his eyes.]

MCKAY (unenthusiastic) Oh, sure, sure. Whaddya got planned? An exciting exploration of insignificant Ancient historical events?

DANIEL No, not quite. I'm sure you're both familiar with the Ancient named Janus?

WOOLSEY The inventor?

DANIEL Yes, he was their lead scientist and apparently a bit of a renegade.

MCKAY Yeah, and I've been over all of his logs. Look, this is work we've done already.

DANIEL Well, I'm pretty sure I have information that could lead us to his secret lab.

[McKay stops walking and turns to face Daniel.]

MCKAY (dubious) Secret lab?

DANIEL Yes, a place where he conducted and subsequently hid a significant portion of his unauthorized research. And if I'm correct, it's right here&hellip;on Atlantis.

[McKay exchanges looks with Woolsey.]

INT&mdash;MCKAY'S LAB

[Daniel pours over a computer. McKay sits beside him, his head leaning on one arm, looking bored.]

MCKAY I've been over Janus's database entries with a fine-toothed comb. I never saw any mention of a secret lab.

DANIEL Janus was doing a lot of work that wasn't exactly approved by the Ancient Council, so it's not hard to imagine he wouldn't include a full accounting in this very public database. I mean, do you include all of your research in your official reports?

MCKAY Just get to the point.

DANIEL Okay. He never talked about it in his entries, but several of Janus's peers suspected he had a "bastion of unfettered thought and experimentation." Or, as one of his lovers put it&mdash;

MCKAY He had lovers?

DANIEL "An isle of solitude within the city walls."

MCKAY Well, that could just mean he was hard to talk to! People say things like that about me all the time!

DANIEL Now, none of these writers had any idea where the lab could be, but one of his young assistants recalls a day where Janus turned a corner down a hallway.

MCKAY (sarcastic) Oh! "Today, I saw Janus in the hallway." There's a real page turner.

DANIEL (ignoring McKay) He chased after him with a question about his work, but when he rounded the corner, Janus was gone. The hallway was a dead-end. He had seemingly disappeared, and I think, into his secret lab.

MCKAY (intrigued) Well, did this assistant happen to mention&hellip;

DANIEL &hellip;which hallway? Yes, he does.

MCKAY Hmm. Well&hellip;

[McKay pulls the computer into his lap.]

DANIEL (smug) Yeah.

MCKAY Hmm.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Sheppard and Woolsey walk down a corridor. Woolsey carries a duffel bag.]

WOOLSEY As soon as the Daedalus unloads its supplies, we'll be heading off to meet up with Todd and one of his hives.

SHEPPARD You really think he's going to show up, huh? And let you guys try out Doctor Keller's gene therapy on a few of his guys?

WOOLSEY Well, we held up our end of the deal. We let him use Teyla to take control of an alliance of Wraith hives.

SHEPPARD That's what I'm saying. He's got what he wants. I should go with you, because I have a relationship with Todd&mdash;

WOOLSEY That is precisely why I don't want you there&hellip; This mission is basically going to be a negotiation, and Todd has, well, less baggage with me than he does with you.

SHEPPARD (frustrated) Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't take the lead on this, I'm just&hellip;

WOOLSEY (firmly) You're second-in-command here, Colonel.

[They stop at the foot of a staircase.]

WOOLSEY I know my predecessors played fast and loose with many of the rules set forth by the IOA, but protocol plainly states that in the rare instance where I am required to leave Atlantis, you stay put. You're in command here until I get back. Understood?

[Sheppard rolls his eyes and twitches, but nods.]

SHEPPARD Okay.

WOOLSEY (smiling) Try not to blow her up while I'm gone.

[Woolsey starts up a staircase.]

SHEPPARD No promises.

[Woolsey pauses and spins, watching Sheppard walk away.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Keller supervises an aide packing a case.]

KELLER Yeah, I think this should be the last of it.

[The aide nods and leaves with the bag. Ronon enters.]

RONON Hey.

KELLER Hi! I was, uh, just leaving.

RONON Yeah, I know. Here, let me get that.

[He grabs a bag as she reaches for it.]

KELLER Thanks.

RONON So you're going on this Daedalus thing?

KELLER Yeah, Uh&hellip;

[Keller reaches for another duffle, and Ronon snatches it before she can touch it.]

RONON Un-uh.

KELLER Thank you. I kinda have to. I'm the one that's gonna be administering the treatment&hellip;if, you know, we ever get to that point.

[They begin walking.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

RONON Right. I think I should come with you on this.

KELLER Really? Why?

RONON I don't really trust these guys.

KELLER You don't trust Todd and his Wraith? Or&hellip;the entire crew of the Daedalus to protect me if something goes wrong?

RONON I don't know. Both I guess.

[Keller stifles a chuckle.]

RONON What?

KELLER Nothing.

RONON What?

KELLER (laughing) Nothing, nothing. It'd be great to have the company.

RONON Okay.

[They see Daniel and McKay walking nearby.]

KELLER Bye, Rodney. Wish us luck.

MCKAY (absently) Good luck. (stopping short) What do you mean "us"?

[He watches Keller and Ronon walk through another door, Ronon shooting McKay a sly grin as he walks by. Daniel doubles back and stands over McKay's shoulder.]

DANIEL Rod? You wanna?

[He thumbs down the hallway and tries to lead McKay that way. McKay distractedly follows.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS ABANDONED CORRIDOR

[Daniel and McKay enter a corridor that lights up as they enter.]

DANIEL Is that a water line up there?

MCKAY Yeah, this section of the city flooded the first year we were here. Anything salvageable got moved to the main tower.

DANIEL Well, it's remote. That's promising. He wouldn't want anyone around when he came in and out of his lab.

MCKAY (excited) Ooh, like the Batcave!

DANIEL (drily) Yes&hellip;just like the Batcave.

MCKAY Well, I'm not picking up anything unusual&hellip;

[Daniel pauses and looks at a small rectangular opening on one of the wall beams.]

DANIEL Something used to be attached here.

[McKay stands by another one.]

MCKAY Hmph. And here.

[Daniel notices one in the beam between the ones he and McKay already indicated.]

DANIEL And another one. Any idea what they are?

MCKAY (unimpressed) Looks like a run-of-the-mill sconce interface.

DANIEL Right. Well&hellip;where are the sconces?

MCKAY I don't know. Maybe the decorator changed his mind.

[Daniel raises his eyebrows dubiously.]

DANIEL You said after the flood, anything worth salvaging was moved to the main tower. Now, please tell me you kept detailed records of what was found and where.

MCKAY Did we keep detailed records? Who are you talking to here?

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS

[Changing the view from the corridor off a pier up to the central tower.]

INT&mdash;MCKAY'S LAB

[McKay and Daniel flip through camera footage of the base on a large monitor.]

DANIEL There! That-that's the hallway! Can you, uh, can you zoom in there?

[McKay rolls his eyes at Daniel but zooms into the part he points to on the picture. Three light fixtures sit on the floor.]

MCKAY There. There are your light fixtures.

DANIEL They must've been knocked loose during the flood.

MCKAY Possibly.

DANIEL But you salvaged them, right?

MCKAY They're lights that fell to the ground during a flood. It's not like they're gonna&mdash;

DANIEL (with tight smile) Just&hellip;humor me, okay? I think we're on to something.

MCKAY (sighing) All right.

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

[The view changes from the tower to a building on another pier.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS STORAGE ROOM

[Daniel and McKay search through shelves storing all sorts of containers.]

MCKAY Here they are. I've got 'em.

[Daniel comes over to the case that McKay opens. The three light fixtures are packed in foam.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

[The view changes from the storage building over to the far pier and the abandoned corridor.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS ABANDONED CORRIDOR

[Daniel finishes putting in the last sconce. It makes humming tone as it lights up. McKay looks puzzled.]

DANIEL That's odd. Each of these three lights made a different tone when I plugged them in. Does that&hellip;usually happen around here?

MCKAY (slowly) Not usually, no.

[Daniel taps each sconce. Each one plays a different tone.]

MCKAY Well, they've been banged around a lot, underwater for a few days. Maybe they're just broken.

DANIEL No, it's a puzzle. I think we need to activate these in a specific order.

MCKAY (scoffing) What, you mean like a three digit code? You know how easy that would be to break? There's only six variations.

DANIEL (impatient) Well, maybe we need to activate them a number of times in a specific order. I don't suppose you recognize any of these three notes?

MCKAY (sarcastic) What, you mean like, does it remind me of Janus's favorite Brian Eno track? No. No such luck.

DANIEL Well, Janus's assistant said he disappeared pretty quickly down the hallway, so it can't be a long code. Maybe it's just as simple as three tones in a row.

MCKAY Go for it.

[Bored, McKay wanders further down the hall while Daniel plays with variations of the order of the tones, waiting for something to happen. McKay pauses at the end of the hall, pressing against the wall and looking puzzled.]

MCKAY Hold on for a second.

DANIEL What is it?

MCKAY Come here and push against this wall.

DANIEL Why?

MCKAY Please, just&hellip;humor me. I think I'm onto something.

[Daniel and McKay switch places.]

MCKAY Okay, on the count of three, I want you to push against the wall as hard as you can, okay?

DANIEL Okay.

MCKAY Okay, one&hellip;two&hellip;three.

[Daniel shoves against the wall. McKay taps each sconce as he walks by left to right, each tone becoming slightly higher. Daniel falls through the wall.]

DANIEL (muffled) Oof!

[He disappears from view. McKay stares at the blank wall.]

MCKAY Son of a bitch.

[He touches the three lights again, walking steadily down the hall and through the wall as the tones still ring.]

INT&mdash;JANUS'S LAB

[McKay walks into the darkened lab. Daniel is still lying on the floor where he fell, looking dazed.]

DANIEL Ow.

[McKay kneels next to Daniel.]

MCKAY Controlled magnetic harmonic resonance.

DANIEL What?

MCKAY Apparently Tesla was close to something like this before Edison trashed his lab.

[Daniel shakes his head as if to clear his vision.]

DANIEL What are you talking about?

MCKAY That wall was specially designed to destabilize when bombarded with a very specific harmonic resonance. That's what the tones were! And the strong magnetic property of the particles is what keeps the door from just crumbling into dust. It's a great way to hide a door, because, you know, if you're looking for a door to open, it's never going to be found. It's like a hologram, only better because it-it's solid mass until the tones are playing.

DANIEL (drily) Right, so you could've just told me to walk through the door when you did it.

MCKAY I could have, yes.

DANIEL Yes, yes.

[He rolls his eyes and stands.]

DANIEL Where the hell are we?

[Once they're both standing, the monitors and consoles in the room all light up, illuminating many devices and control consoles.]

DANIEL (awed) Wow.

MCKAY (excited) Janus's secret lab!

[They move to one of the consoles to study it. Neither notices a small console with a red light blinking.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[An icy planet floats in space.]

INT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB ON PLANET

[A red light blinks on a console filled with Ancient crystals. A few moments later all the crystals light up, and monitors come to life near them. An alien wearing armor and a helmet watches.]

ALIEN Alert the others. The device has been activated.

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[Daedalus flies through hyperspace.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS MESS HALL

[Woolsey sits at a table, going over notes. Keller grabs a water bottle from the supply table and spots him.]

KELLER Hey, Mr. Woolsey.

WOOLSEY Doctor Keller. (looking around) Where's your burly protector? It's odd to see you without him, nowadays.

KELLER (smiling) He's&hellip;in the lab. What're you working on?

WOOLSEY A speech.

KELLER What for?

WOOLSEY Well, this is a&hellip;fairly momentous occasion. The Wraith will take a step forward, not only for their own benefit, but for that of the entire galaxy. It's an historic day. I just think it deserves some&hellip;recognition.

KELLER Well, what have you got so far?

WOOLSEY "Today is an historic day&hellip;"

[He looks up and bites his lip.]

KELLER (weakly) It's a&hellip;good place to start.

WOOLSEY Well, it's a work in progress.

[They exchange awkward looks and Keller leaves.]

INT&mdash;JANUS'S LAB

[Sheppard steps through the wall. The room is filled with scientists studying the devices. Daniel studies one console and large monitor. McKay looks up when Sheppard enters.]

SHEPPARD Whoa. That's pretty cool.

MCKAY Harmonic resonance.

SHEPPARD Yeah, I was told. But what happens if the sound goes off and you're in the middle of the&hellip;wall?

MCKAY Well, the wall would break apart your body.

SHEPPARD Maybe we should, uh&mdash;

MCKAY I've set up a sub-sonic tone generator outside. The wall is now permanently open. Don't worry.

SHEPPARD Good. So what do we got?

DANIEL Well, the good news is it's definitely Janus's secret lab; the bad news is getting in was the easy part.

MCKAY There are levels of encryption on all of the data here that even the most paranoid NSA agent wouldn't use. I mean, it is deep.

[Daniel walks over to join them. He sits beside Rodney.]

DANIEL Some of them are straight up math ciphers while others are Ancient knowledge puzzles.

MCKAY And until we start deciphering, there's no way to tell what any of this stuff does.

SHEPPARD Sounds like you guys make a good team, though.

[Daniel looks up, disturbed, while McKay shifts uncomfortably.]

MCKAY (noncommittally) Mmm.

DANIEL (drily) Yeah.

SHEPPARD Well, I guess I'll go back to being the boss.

MCKAY How's that going?

SHEPPARD Pretty boring, actually.

MCKAY Well, you're more than welcome to help us crack this first stream cipher. (to Daniel) You know, um, he could've been in Mensa.

[Daniel grins, amused, while McKay stifles a laugh. Sheppard glowers at them.]

SHEPPARD Why don't you contact me when you two geniuses have a breakthrough?

MCKAY Will do.

[Sheppard leaves, walking past the small device on a podium, still blinking the red light.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[Daedalus exits hyperspace. Three Wraith hive ships are already floating at the rendezvous point.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

[Caldwell sits in his chair. Marks is at the starboard station.]

MARKS Sir, we're being hailed.

CALDWELL Open a channel. (into radio) This is Colonel Caldwell of the Earth ship Daedalus. We're ready to receive your delegation.

KENNY (over radio) The delegation is on their way.

CALDWELL Marks, you have the bridge. I'm going to meet our guests.

[Caldwell leaves.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[A Wraith ship, larger than a dart but with a similar appearance flies to the Daedalus and lands in the F-302 hanger bay.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS CORRIDOR

[Woolsey paces outside the F-302 bay. Ronon, Caldwell, Keller, and Daedalus security also wait. The bay door opens. Todd and two other Wraith enter the corridor.]

WOOLSEY Thank you for coming.

TODD Thank you for having us.

[Woolsey straightens and clears his throat.]

WOOLSEY (formally) Today is an historic day. Robert Grosseteste once said&hellip;

TODD (interrupting) I would like to get started as soon as possible.

WOOLSEY Yes, of course. But I wanted to recognize&mdash;

TODD I have my doubts that your plan will be effective. So shall we drop these unfounded pleasantries and get to work?

[There is a pregnant silence.]

WOOLSEY Very well. Doctor Keller, lead the way.

[Keller nods.]

KELLER Please come with me.

[Keller leads the Wraith delegation down the hall. Some of the security and Ronon follow. Guards stand by the door as Caldwell fights a smile and looks to Woolsey.]

CALDWELL Robert who?

WOOLSEY (annoyed) Never mind.

[Woolsey walks away. Caldwell smiles.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS NIGHT

INT&mdash;JANUS'S LAB

[Daniel and McKay continue to study information on the displays. They are the only two left in the room. McKay yawns.]

DANIEL You know, it's almost dawn. If you want to call it a night, it's uh&hellip;

[He takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes.]

MCKAY What? No, no, no. I'm fine. Fine. But, you know, if you need to rest, I'll completely understand.

[He sniffs and fights to look alert. Daniel becomes alert and puts his glasses back on.]

DANIEL Seriously? I-i-is everything a competition with you?

MCKAY I'm not sure what you're talking about.

DANIEL (incredulous) I-I just found you a secret lab full of really cool Ancient stuff. I kind of thing that should score me some points here!

MCKAY Okay, I will admit that I may have been a little brusque with you up until now.

DANIEL Just a little.

MCKAY But the truth is, I really didn't think you were going to find anything!

DANIEL Well, that much I actually understand.

MCKAY You do?

DANIEL Yeah. I've&hellip;spent the majority of my professional life being ridiculed for my theories&mdash;most of which turned out to be correct, by the way. I'm kinda used to it, Rodney.

[McKay slumps back in his chair and sighs.]

MCKAY Doesn't that bother you? I mean, no vindication, no recognition, no&hellip;credit?

DANIEL Well, I could say the same thing about you. The discoveries you've made, you&hellip;probably could've won the Nobel Prize five times over by now.

MCKAY (relaxing) Too true. So, I guess none of us signed up to get famous, huh?

DANIEL (deadpan) No, we did it for the money.

[Daniel grins. McKay snickers.]

MCKAY Good one. (sobering) Wait a minute&mdash;you don't get paid more than I do, do you?

[Daniel blinks, rolls his eyes at McKay, and sighs.]

MCKAY Do you?

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS OCEAN, NIGHT

[An alien ship drops out of hyperspace close to the ocean's surface and flies over the waves.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Chuck sits with his feet propped, reading a book, "The Martian General's Daughter" by Theodore Judson. He notices an alert on his console and drops the book.]

CHUCK Hyperspace window just opened!

BANKS Daedalus isn't due back yet.

[She comes over to his display. It shows an unrecognized IFF.]

BANKS Get Sheppard.

INT&mdash;SHEPPARD'S QUARTERS

[Sheppard sleeps in his bed, fully dressed and on top of the covers, an open book on his stomach.]

CHUCK (over intercom) Colonel Sheppard, sir?

[Sheppard jolts awake.]

SHEPPARD (groggily) Yeah, uh, I'm just resting my eyes.

[He looks around the empty room.]

SHEPPARD (more alert) Who said that?

CHUCK (over intercom) I patched into the P.A. in your room, sir. You're going to want to get up here.

[Sheppard puts the book down and gets up.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS OCEAN, NIGHT

[The alien ship continues to fly low. Landing struts pull out as the ship nears the city of Atlantis.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Sheppard rushes in. Everyone is watching Chuck's station, alert.]

SHEPPARD What's going on?

BANKS We're tracking a small ship in atmosphere. It's coming right for us.

SHEPPARD Get the jumpers in the air.

BANKS It's closing fast, sir. It'll be here in less than ten seconds.

[A display shows the bogey closing on the city.]

SHEPPARD Shields up. I still want the jumpers ready.

[Chuck complies.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, NIGHT

[The shield forms and surrounds the city.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

BANKS Here it comes.

[They watch the display as the alien ship reaches Atlantis through the shield and then moves into the city over one of the far piers.]

BANKS That's impossible.

SHEPPARD Well, wh-what did it just do?

CHUCK It passed through the shield.

SHEPPARD Yeah, but how did it do that?

BANKS (worried) I'm not sure, sir&hellip;Ancient ships can do it.

[They watch as the ship remains hovering at the pier section.]

SHEPPARD All right, tell Teyla and a team of marines to meet me at that pier.

[Banks moves to her computer.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, NIGHT

[The alien ship hovers over the pier, sitting within the shields of Atlantis. At the bow of the ship, a circular opening forms on the lower side. Three aliens drop in free-fall from the ship, then use small thrusters on their boots to slow and land on an upper balcony to one of the buildings.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Three aliens, all in the heavy armor and helmets, walk determinedly through the corridor. Each has a large metal plate strapped to its back.]

INT&mdash;ANOTHER ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Sheppard comes out of a transporter running and holding a rifle. Teyla and a squad of marines come running from another corridor to join him.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

BANKS (nervous) They should be right in front of you.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[The aliens take the metal plates off their backs and attach them to each other on the floor, forming a large disc. They attach a small round device to its center and twist the control. The disc lights up and makes a humming noise. The aliens step onto it as Sheppard's team arrives.]

SHEPPARD Don't move!

[One of the aliens touches a control on its breastplate. A domed shield comes up from the disc, protecting the aliens as Sheppard's team opens fire. The shielded disc drops through the floor, leaving a large hole in its place.]

[Sheppard's team stops firing and approaches the hole. The disk has moved down at least six floors and is continuing its descent. Some Atlantis expedition members can be seen in other floors looking through the holes on their floors in puzzlement.]

SHEPPARD What's at the bottom of this tower?

[Teyla looks at him, clearly worried.]

TEYLA (tightly) Rodney.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS ABANDONED CORRIDOR

[The aliens reach the bottom floor and the corridor outside Janus's laboratory. Two march towards the far wall. One remains behind, guarding the disc and watching for resistance.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR

[Sheppard, Teyla and the marines race to a transporter.]

SHEPPARD (into radio) Rodney, this is Sheppard! Come in!

INT&mdash;JANUS'S LAB

[Daniel and McKay continue to work on the consoles in an unhurried manner.]

SHEPPARD (over radio) Rodney!

MCKAY (into radio, unconcerned) What's up?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CORRIDOR, OUTSIDE TRANSPORTER

[The team pile into the transporter.]

SHEPPARD Get out of there, right now!

INT&mdash;JANUS'S LAB

MCKAY (into radio, worried) Why?

[He and Daniel both stand, alert and concerned at Sheppard's tone, as the two aliens walk through the wall-door. The aliens stun them both with an energy weapon. One alien grabs the device with the red blinking light off the table. They ignore the other equipment.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS ABANDONED CORRIDOR

[Sheppard's team arrives. The alien punches a button on its arm and a yellow force field appears. He holds his arm as if grasping a shield while Sheppard's team fires. The bullets don't get through, but the alien appears to be struggling to hold his ground. The two aliens return from Janus's lab. One carries the device. The other drags the unconscious bodies of McKay and Daniel behind him, holding each of them by one arm.]

[While the third alien continues to block the gunfire with the shield, the other two step onto the disc, the one holding Daniel and McKay by their collars, lifting the limp bodies so they're upright. The dome shield encompasses the two aliens and their booty. It levitates up through the hole in the ceiling, leaving their compatriot to fall as the force field fails and the alien is hit by multiple bullet wounds.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, NIGHT

[The domed disc flies up through the tower levels straight into the sky and into the waiting opening of the alien ship. The ship closes its door and immediately flies off, flying across the city and through the shield without difficulty. It jumps into hyperspace while still in the planet's atmosphere.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS ABANDONED CORRIDOR

[Sheppard's team warily approach the downed alien and look up through the hole.]

SHEPPARD (keying radio) Control room, what's the status of that ship?

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

BANKS I'm sorry, Colonel. They're gone.

[They stare at the monitor displaying "contact lost".]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS ABANDONED CORRIDOR

[Sheppard and Teyla look very worried.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAWN

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS ABANDONED CORRIDOR

[Zelenka and a science team joins Sheppard's team.]

ZELENKA Is it alive?

SHEPPARD You tell me.

[Zelenka runs his scanner over the alien.]

ZELENKA No. I'm not getting any coherent readings. Perhaps we should put it under a medical scanner.

SHEPPARD Okay. Do it.

ZELENKA (to scientist) Go get a gurney.

[The scientist hurries away. Zelenka looks up at the circular hole in the ceiling and purses his lips.]

ZELENKA So is it true they took Rodney and Doctor Jackson?

[Teyla looks away, upset. Sheppard tightly nods.]

SHEPPARD (quietly) Yeah.

INT&mdash;ALIEN PRISON CELL

[Daniel lightly taps McKay's cheek several times. McKay lies on the floor with Daniel crouched over him.]

MCKAY Oh. Ow. What the hell happened?

[Daniel helps McKay to his feet, patting him on the back. They are both trapped in a dark room. The cell is made up of several green laser beams horizontally running in a triangle shape.]

DANIEL We were attacked!

MCKAY That much I got. Thanks. By who?

DANIEL I was kinda hoping you could tell me.

MCKAY Okay, there is no way this is a coincidence. I mean, we discover Janus's super-secret lab, and less than twenty-four hours later, a bunch of aliens show up all guns blazing? Don't you think that's a little odd?

DANIEL (slowly) Now that you mention it&hellip;

[He shrugs in agreement.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS ABANDONED CORRIDOR

[The scientist team wheels the alien away. Zelenka remains with Sheppard and Teyla.]

SHEPPARD They knew exactly what they were looking for. They didn't waste any time, went straight for the lab.

TEYLA When they came out, one of them was carrying a device.

INT&mdash;JANUS'S LAB

[The trio enter the lab.]

ZELENKA Unfortunately, we haven't had nearly enough time to go through everything we found in here, so there's no way of knowing exactly what they took.

SHEPPARD All this stuff came on when Rodney and Doctor Jackson came in here?

ZELENKA Yeah, pretty much. It probably activated in response to Rodney's ATA gene. Why?

SHEPPARD What if something in here's been broadcasting?

INT&mdash;ALIEN PRISON CELL

MCKAY A subspace signal. It's the only possible answer.

DANIEL What are you talking about?

MCKAY We've come across them before. They're a-a real-time practically instantaneous link between two Ancient devices. They can be separated by like, half a galaxy.

INT&mdash;JANUS'S LAB

SHEPPARD There's a bunch of aliens out there. They-they stumble upon an Ancient lab, probably built by Janus himself. It's dormant. It's not working. Then one day, out of the blue, it&hellip;activates.

INT&mdash;ALIEN PRISON CELL

MCKAY So they're standing around, they're scratching their heads, they have no idea what's going on. Then they discover the subspace link.

INT&mdash;JANUS'S LAB

SHEPPARD They decide to follow it. They trace it back to us.

ZELENKA (dubious) And then attack us and take two of our people hostage?

TEYLA Rodney and Doctor Jackson were not the targets.

SHEPPARD They were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Whatever that device was, that's what they were after.

INT&mdash;ALIEN PRISON CELL

DANIEL All right, good theory. So what do we do?

MCKAY Well, we-we gotta get out of here.

[McKay starts looking at the laser beams.]

DANIEL We're probably on a ship traveling through hyperspace, where are we gonna go?

MCKAY I'll think of something.

DANIEL Really?

MCKAY Yep. Always do.

[McKay reaches out and touches one of the beams. It zaps his finger with a violent hum.]

MCKAY Ow!

DANIEL Oh yeah, I tried that. They, uh, zap you when you touch them.

MCKAY (annoyed) You could have told me that before I touched it!

DANIEL (blandly) I could have. Yes.

[McKay glowers at Daniel.]

DANIEL Look, they stripped us of everything but the clothing on our backs and surrounded us with laser walls. I'm not sure how much play we have here.

MCKAY We've got one thing going for us at least.

DANIEL What's that?

MCKAY We're not dead yet.

DANIEL Good point.

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS INFIRMARY

[Zelenka operates the Ancient scanner as the alien lies on the bed below. Teyla and Sheppard stand nearby.]

ZELENKA (sighing) It's no good. I'm still not getting any useful readings. The suit is emitting some sort of E.M. field that's disrupting the scanner. I&hellip;have no idea how to shut it off.

SHEPPARD There's no way to penetrate the shell and see what's under there?

TEYLA Do you think there's a human underneath all that armor?

SHEPPARD Impossible to say. It could be a robot.

ZELENKA One thing's for sure&mdash;it's not like anything we've ever seen before.

TEYLA Well, Doctor Weir did say that there were other technologically advanced societies that we have yet to encounter.

SHEPPARD We've just made first contact.

ZELENKA What do you want me to do?

[Sheppard steps over to look at the alien.]

SHEPPARD Cut it open.

[Later, Zelenka uses a power-saw to try to slice open the breastplate. Another scientist, wearing goggles like Zelenka, holds the alien's head in place. Sheppard and Teyla stand nearby. The saw whirs with a higher and higher pitched whine. Zelenka finally shuts it down and lifts his goggles to study the saw.]

ZELENKA Ach! It's no good. I just dulled out the blade!

[Sheppard bites his lip and studies the alien.]

SHEPPARD The neck.

ZELENKA What?

SHEPPARD It looks like the softest part. Try the neck.

[Zelenka backs off.]

ZELENKA (stammering) But&hellip;

TEYLA It's already dead, Radek.

ZELENKA We think.

SHEPPARD Just do it.

[He re-dons his goggles and takes his re-bladed saw back from his aide. The aide holds the head while Zelenka starts sawing at the neck.]

ZELENKA It's working!

[Zelenka notices a small light blinking on the breastplate. He stops his saw. There is a beeping with the blinking.]

ZELENKA Uh-oh&hellip;

SHEPPARD Get out. Everyone. Get out!

[Everyone runs out of the room, taking cover in the corridor outside just before the alien self-destructs in a fiery explosion.]

SHEPPARD Everyone okay?

TEYLA Yes.

SHEPPARD Somebody really wants to keep secret whatever's inside that suit.

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[Daedalus floats in space.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SCIENCE LAB

[Todd paces while Keller works on her computer.]

KELLER (nervously) We've run close to a hundred simulations based on full medical scans of the Wraith we've had in&hellip;captivity. They've all been successful.

TODD We both know very well that computer simulations and live trials are very different.

KELLER I don't think we're doing this cavalierly. I-I stand by the data. It will work.

TODD Uh-uh. Perhaps it will.

[Keller pauses and steels herself.]

KELLER The question is, do you want it to?

[Todd approaches her.]

TODD (considering) Mmm. I do see the benefits&hellip;even if we only use the therapy on some of my troops, say those whose lives, thanks to this war, are expected to be short. Why waste perfectly good resources on them, yes?

[Keller can't meet Todd's gaze.]

TODD But it will be very difficult for me to ask those around me to give themselves over for the good of the human race.

KELLER But, it's for your benefit, too. If you don't have to rely on human feeding, the war would be over.

TODD Perhaps&hellip;but then what would we do? Who would we be?

[Keller looks at him compassionately. Todd stalks away.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[The alien ship jumps out of hyperspace just above the atmosphere of the planet with the Ancient lab. It flies down to the surface.]

EXT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB FACILITY

[The ship flies through a snow storm to land next to the facility, which is half-covered in snow.]

INT&mdash;ALIEN SHIP CORRIDOR

[One alien walks down the corridor, carrying the Ancient device from Janus's lab. Two other aliens manhandle Daniel and McKay down the hall behind the first.]

DANIEL Can we talk to somebody in charge? I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding. There's no need to treat us this way.

[The alien tightens its grip on Daniel's collar. He shuts up and grimaces.]

MCKAY (whimpering in pain) Oh. Oh. Ow. Ow. Ow.

INT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB

[Daniel and McKay are pushed into the lab and released. The first alien places the device on a console, where everything lights up.]

ALIEN Get the device operational.

MCKAY We don't even know what it is!

[The alien stalks out, ignoring McKay. The door clangs shut.]

MCKAY (sarcastic) Oh, great. It's sealed shut, and they've removed the door control from this side.

[Daniel steps onto one of the two main consoles.]

DANIEL Where the hell are we?

MCKAY I'd say judging by the Lantian architecture, I'd guess, you know, secret Janus facility? Which is, you know, probably bad for us, because it probably means it's hard to find.

[Daniel steps from one console to the other.]

DANIEL (resigned) So I guess that means no rescue any time soon.

[McKay looks at the device the alien left on the console.]

MCKAY Does that look familiar to you?

DANIEL Yeah, it's the device from the Atlantis lab.

MCKAY At least we know why they brought us with them.

DANIEL Yeah, they need us to get the device operational. I got that.

MCKAY Right. And I don't get think we're gonna get any more info from Talky McSays-a-Lot out there, so, uh, fire up these consoles. See what we're dealing with.

[Daniel reaches for a control.]

MCKAY (abruptly) Not like that.

[Daniel pulls his hand back. McKay studies the controls.]

MCKAY Um&hellip;let's see. Yeah. Like that.

[McKay reaches past Daniel and flips the control Daniel was first going to touch. He then reaches down to the controls directly in front of Daniel.]

MCKAY And then I need to be right there. Yeah.

[Daniel stands exasperated, and resigned.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Banks and Sheppard walk up the steps from the Gate Room to the Control Room.]

BANKS We've got five jumpers in the air, flying a defensive formation around the city, and have the chair fired up and ready for you at a moment's notice.

SHEPPARD I want marine details every five levels, locked and loaded, ready for my go ahead, just in case.

BANKS Absolutely.

[Banks parts ways with Sheppard who joins Zelenka at his console.]

ZELENKA Colonel, I think I may have something. I've been working under the assumption that, as you suggested, the device they took must have been broadcasting some sort of subspace communication.

SHEPPARD You can trace it?

ZELENKA Well, yeah, if it was broadcasting from Atlantis, yes. But obviously it's not doing that anymore.

SHEPPARD So&hellip;?

ZELENKA So&hellip;well, I'm using the work of Lazlo Babai as a stepping stone. You know, combinatorics and um&hellip;no offense, but the math I'm using is so complicated I don't know if I can dumb it down enough for it to make sense.

SHEPPARD (threateningly) Try.

ZELENKA (gulping) All right, well, okay, I-I've been going over our recorded subspace logs, and I'm trying to extrapolate the single thread that will lead us to the area of space associated with the device.

SHEPPARD Well, I understand that.

ZELENKA Yes. It doesn't accurately represent what I'm doing, but&hellip;

[He shrugs.]

SHEPPARD (impatient) I get it. What you're doing is difficult. Just&hellip;tell me when you get a hit.

[Sheppard walks away. Zelenka sighs and gets back to work.]

INT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB

[McKay bites his thumb and looks through a window at a device in a shielded chamber. He steps back to the console. Daniel is at the other console.]

DANIEL This facility is tapped into some pretty serious power generation. I've never seen anything like it before.

MCKAY (half to himself) You'd need a lot of power&hellip;

DANIEL What?

MCKAY I think I know what this thing does.

DANIEL What?

MCKAY It's an endgame machine.

DANIEL (cautiously) How so?

MCKAY If it works the way I think it does, it would mean the end of the Wraith once and for all!

[Daniel stares at McKay in shock.]

DANIEL So, how do you destroy the Wraith once and for all?

MCKAY Well, I never said "destroy", I mean&hellip;it would lead to that, I suppose. But&hellip;this device would stop them dead in their tracks.

DANIEL How?

[McKay walks over to Daniel's console.]

MCKAY It creates a very specific subspace static. Uh, turbulence is probably a better way of looking at it.

DANIEL Which&hellip;?

MCKAY Okay, look. Um, although they're all based on a fairly similar technological premise, each race has a slightly different type of hyperdrive. Ours are based on the Asgard drives with their own little twist. The Ancients had their own particular system. And the Wraith, again, have their own separate hyperdrive technology.

DANIEL All right.

MCKAY Okay, so at its base level, a hyperdrive allows you to travel great distances by entering and exiting subspace.

DANIEL (impatient) Okay. This much I already know. Yes.

[McKay and Daniel walk back to the other console.]

MCKAY Okay, so if this machine is capable of actually functioning safely, it disrupts the very specific subspace frequencies the Wraith use.

DANIEL So they wouldn't be able to engage their hyperdrive.

MCKAY Well that's the genius. They would be able to engage their hyperdrive. It's just that their particular channel of subspace would be destabilized, and the ship would be ripped into a million pieces.

DANIEL When this device is turned on, every time a Wraith ship enters hyperspace, it self-destructs?

MCKAY Yeah.

DANIEL That's a pretty effective idea.

MCKAY Yeah. I mean, because, even if word got back to the other Wraith that the ships should stop using their hyperdrives, they'd be stuck where they were. They'd only be able to travel using sub-light engines.

DANIEL Because an Ancient ship's hyperdrive operates on a different frequency of subspace, the Ancients could fly around the galaxy and pick them off one by one.

MCKAY Yeah, or just&hellip;leave them to die in the vastness of space.

DANIEL So, what's the catch?

[McKay turns back to the other console. Daniel follows him.]

MCKAY Ah, well, the catch is that Janus ran a three-day test about&hellip;ten thousand years ago and then, shut the whole project down because of "unforeseen side effects."

DANIEL Right. Which were&hellip;?

[McKay pulls up a screen on the Ancient lab monitor.]

MCKAY Well, it-it's not clear. But, that's the key to the whole shebang.

[He points to the device the aliens took from Janus's lab.]

MCKAY I mean, Janus brought that back with him to Atlantis but kept it connected to the main system here. One won't work without the other.

DANIEL Well, they seem pretty convinced we can make it operational.

MCKAY That's because we probably can. I mean, we have everything we need here. The question is, whether we should. The last time I went down this road, I&hellip;I kinda destroyed a solar system.

DANIEL Yeah, and I'm not too keen about experiencing those "unforeseen side effects."

MCKAY So, what do we do?

DANIEL It's simple. We, uh&hellip;we&hellip;reason with them.

MCKAY (deflating) Oh.

[Later, the alien stands listening to Daniel. McKay looks uncertain at this tactic.]

DANIEL Now, obviously you're excited over the possibility of ending the Wraith's reign over this galaxy once and for all. But, uh, the reality is, this device and this facility were abandoned by their creator for very good reasons. See, uh, it doesn't work&hellip;at least, not safely. That's from what my friend can tell.

[McKay waves weakly. The alien doesn't respond.]

DANIEL Look, we share the same goal. Perhaps we have many things in common.

[The alien still does not answer. Daniel looks to McKay then back.]

DANIEL Look, given the right amount of time it's possible we could get the device to function safely, but, uh, we'd have to contact our people and bring in a much larger science team. See, I'm-I'm-I'm not that kind of scientist, and, and what my friend here&mdash;

[Daniel points to McKay but the alien interrupts, turning to McKay.]

ALIEN Get the device operational within one hour, or I will kill him. Do you understand?

MCKAY (meekly) I understand, yes.

[The alien leaves.]

MCKAY (sarcastic) Great plan, Danny! Great plan!

[McKay moves to one of the consoles. Daniel remains in place, putting his hands in his pockets and musing.]

DANIEL Why the suits?

MCKAY Huh?

DANIEL Well, they're not in battle anymore. Originally I thought it was just their version of SWAT gear, but&hellip;they still have it on. Maybe they're more than just armor; maybe they're some sort of protective suit. Maybe they can't function in our livable atmosphere.

MCKAY (impatient) Maybe we should just add it to the list of things that have nothing to do with the task at hand.

DANIEL Those suits might be the key to figuring out who these guys really are.

MCKAY (petulant) Well, you work on understanding them, I'll work on trying not to get us killed.

[McKay works at a console. Daniel stays deep in thought.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS, DAY

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Sheppard enters.]

SHEPPARD Well, you got something for me?

ZELENKA Yes. M6H-987. That's my best guess.

SHEPPARD Are you sure?

ZELENKA Well, about 80% sure.

SHEPPARD All right. Well, it's our only lead. It'll have to do. Doesn't happen to have a 'gate on it, does it?

ZELENKA No.

SHEPPARD Of course not. Daedalus still out of communications range?

ZELENKA Yeah, I'm afraid so. And the rendezvous point with Todd isn't even near a Stargate.

SHEPPARD I need to get to the jumper bay. Boost its subspace communications range as much as you can.

ZELENKA What are you planning?

SHEPPARD Well, we've got to get to that planet as soon as possible. We're gonna gate as near as we can to the Daedalus with a jumper. Have them pick us up en route to the planet.

ZELENKA Okay. Give me half an hour.

[He starts typing. Sheppard heads out.]

SHEPPARD I'm going to get the team ready.

INT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB

[McKay and Daniel look into the shielded chamber.]

MCKAY That main chamber houses the subspace antenna.

DANIEL It harnesses the static into subspace.

MCKAY Well, it will once I light it up.

DANIEL (surprised) What? You're already ready?

[McKay walks back to the consoles. Daniel follows.]

MCKAY Well, it wasn't broken! He just shut it down. All you need is that, (points to device) &hellip;a basic understanding of Janus's coding style, and, uh, here's where I come in again, the Ancient gene. I mean, we're-we're ready to roll.

DANIEL Rodney, you don't have to do this.

MCKAY What?

DANIEL Look, if-if turning this thing on means a-a solar system is gonna explode, then let's&hellip;not.

MCKAY They're going to kill you! We don't have a choice.

DANIEL Yes, we do.

MCKAY Okay, so I do nothing, they come in here, they kill you. Who gets killed next, huh? Me. To tell you the truth here, I'm quite fond of me. So we might as well do it, you know, now, while you're still alive as opposed to as opposed to, you know, then.

[Daniel rolls his eyes and shrugs, resigned.]

DANIEL All right.

MCKAY All right.

[McKay powers up the device.]

INT&mdash;ANCIENT SHIELDED CHAMBER

[The machine powers up. Lightning arcs spark around the room and the large machine glows with a blue light.]

INT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB

[McKay and Daniel turn and watch the light show through the small window.]

MCKAY (weakly) We still alive?

DANIEL (quietly) I think so. I'd hate to think heaven looks like this.

MCKAY Who says we went to heaven?

[Daniel raises his eyebrows in consideration. McKay whimpers. They both step towards the console closer to the shield door.]

MCKAY It's operational.

DANIEL Anything out of the ordinary?

MCKAY (chuckling, pleased) No. Everything's in the green. I mean, it's working great.

DANIEL What about those "unforeseen side effects"?

MCKAY They're still unforeseen. For now, it's working, and we're still alive.

DANIEL Okay, so, what now?

MCKAY (hopefully) Uh, maybe, uh, a nice pat on the back, and an all-expense paid trip back to Atlantis?

[Daniel raises his eyebrows and shoots McKay a skeptical look.]

MCKAY (deflating) Mmm.

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[Daedalus floats in space.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

[Todd walks into the bridge escorted by two guards. Woolsey is there to meet him and hands him an earpiece.]

WOOLSEY You have an urgent message from your hive. I assumed you'd want to take it privately.

[Todd takes the earpiece warily and steps forward from the bridge crew.]

TODD (into radio) Go ahead&hellip;Very well&hellip;Permission granted&hellip;I shall remain here.

CALDWELL Is everything okay?

TODD (grunting) One of our facilities is under attack by a rival hive. Our two support ships must depart for battle. My hive will remain here, continue the work with Doctor Keller.

WOOLSEY (smiling) I'm glad to hear that.

[Todd and Caldwell both stare at Woolsey, incredulous.]

WOOLSEY Oh! Not the under attack part. That's unfortunate, of course. I just meant&hellip;never mind.

[Todd turns to look out the forward viewscreen.]

EXT&mdash;SPACE

[Two hive ships break formation at the rendezvous and open a hyperspace window. As they try to enter hyperspace, they blast apart into dust.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

CALDWELL (alarmed) Marks, what the hell just happened?

TODD (horrified) How did you do that?

WOOLSEY How did we&hellip;?! Surely, you don't think we had anything to do with that&mdash;

TODD You tricked me.

[He slowly turns, unobtrusively releasing a small bar from each sleeve.]

WOOLSEY What?

TODD This was your plan all along. Somehow, you've found the Attero device!

WOOLSEY The what? We have no idea what you're&mdash;

[Todd connects the two activated bars. They emit a blast wave that stuns everyone on the bridge into unconsciousness. Todd steps to the commander's chair and activates the communicator.]

[The conversation switches between Todd's bridge, where his second in command, Kenny stands, and Todd on video screen at the Daedalus bridge.]

KENNY Commander. We've been trying to contact you. The other cruisers were destroyed.

TODD I know. We've been betrayed.

KENNY What should we do?

TODD I have control of the humans' transport system. I will begin beaming in our troops immediately.

[He sits down in the command chair.]

TODD We're taking this ship.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS CORRIDOR

[Ronon walks casually down a corridor. As he turns a corner, he sees several Wraith soldiers beam onto the ship. None face him. Ronon draws his gun and backs into an alcove, watching them march away. He heads down another corridor.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS SCIENCE LAB

[Keller works on her computer. Ronon backs into the room and hurries to her.]

RONON Come on.

KELLER (blankly) What's going on?

RONON We're under attack. We gotta get you to the armory and get you a gun. Come on.

[He drags her away. The computer monitor beeps that the experiment is complete.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

[The unconscious Marks is dragged off of his seat by a Wraith. The rest of the bridge crew is laid out in the back area by the star chart. Wraith study the systems at various consoles while Todd activates the lockout protocol.]

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS CORRIDOR

[Ronon and Keller race down a corridor. The armory door seals shut just before Ronon reaches it.]

RONON Augh! Locked!

[Keller turns to find the door sealing behind them.]

KELLER Ronon!

[She frantically punches the key code next to the door, but it continues to lock her out. She turns back to Ronon and shakes her head.]

KELLER We're locked in.

INT&mdash;DAEDALUS BRIDGE

[Todd finishes typing the lockout protocols.]

TODD That should limit their movements. Continue beaming in our troops.

[He sits in the commander's chair as Wraith man the bridge stations.]

INT&mdash;ANCIENT LAB

[Daniel claps his hands and wanders over to McKay's console.]

DANIEL Ten minutes and counting. Still no problem.

[McKay stares at the schematic diagram on the monitor and looks concerned.]

MCKAY Oh boy&hellip;

DANIEL (worried) What? What is it?

MCKAY I think I just found a log entry that tells us what the side effect is.

DANIEL It's not&hellip;harmful radiation, is it?

[Daniel steps back from the console and clutches his hand.]

MCKAY No. No, no, no. You and I are safe. It's the rest of the galaxy that's gonna have problems, including&hellip;Atlantis. I've got to shut this thing down.

[He starts frantically working the controls. The door opens and two aliens enter, aiming their weapons at McKay.]

ALIEN Step away from the device.

[McKay continues to work the controls. One alien shoots him and he slumps to the floor. Daniel raises his hand in surrender.]

DANIEL Okay. Wait-wait-wait-wait! Look, there's a very dangerous, very serious problem with the device. Now, we need to talk to your boss&mdash;

[The other alien shoots Daniel, and he collapses unconscious.]

INT&mdash;PUDDLE JUMPER

[Zelenka does a final check of the jumper crystals as Sheppard, Teyla, and a team of marines enter the jumper.]

ZELENKA Okay. All set. So, I'll have Chuck dial M5R-179. You should be able to contact the Daedalus via subspace once you get there.

SHEPPARD Nice work.

ZELENKA Thanks. Good luck.

SHEPPARD Thanks. We're gonna need it.

[Zelenka leaves as everyone else takes their seats.]

INT&mdash;ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM

[Chuck is at his station. Zelenka comes down the staircase from the jumper bay.]

ZELENKA All right. Dial it up.

[Chuck nods and dials the Stargate. The Stargate activates. There is an alarm buzzing Zelenka notices as he stares at his computer.]

ZELENKA (puzzled) What's that? You see that?

CHUCK We've got a power spike at the event horizon.

ZELENKA What? Power is building within the 'gate?! No, no, no, no. See, that-that can't happen. (into radio) Colonel, do not lower the jumper into the Gate Room.

SHEPPARD (over radio) Why not?

ZELENKA Well, for some reason, there is an unprecedented power buildup within the 'gate.

[The conversation switches from the control room to the jumper.]

TEYLA Power build up from where?

ZELENKA It's coming from within the event horizon. Oh no. This is very, very bad for us.

SHEPPARD Just shut it down. It's probably a faulty 'gate at the other end.

ZELENKA I-I-I'm trying. It won't let me!

[He turns to Chuck, who shakes his head negatively.]

SHEPPARD All right, I'm coming down.

[Every gets up and follows Sheppard out of the jumper. They clamber down the stairs.]

SHEPPARD What do we do? Wait thirty-eight minutes and ride the puddle out?

ZELENKA I wish. If the power continues to build like this, the 'gate will reach critical overload and most certainly explode.

SHEPPARD Explode?

ZELENKA Yes. I told you it was very, very bad for us.

SHEPPARD How does something like this happen?

ZELENKA I don't know. It's never happened before.

SHEPPARD How long do we have?

ZELENKA Not very long at all. About ninety seconds.

TEYLA Ninety seconds?!

BANKS I would say closer to sixty.

SHEPPARD We've got to evacuate everyone in the tower!

ZELENKA The 'gate exploding is the equivalent of a dozen nuclear explosions. There-there's nowhere we could evacuate quickly enough to a safe distance.

SHEPPARD The-the-the shield!

ZELENKA What?

SHEPPARD Collapse the city's shield around the 'gate. We can contain the explosion!

ZELENKA Yes, yes! That just might work!

[He rolls to another console and starts typing.]

CHUCK The 'gate will reach a critical limit in five&hellip;four&hellip;three&hellip;

[The shield starts forming around the Stargate.]

CHUCK &hellip;two&hellip;

[The shield makes a complete dome around the Stargate.]

CHUCK &hellip;one&hellip;

[The Stargate explodes, contained in the shield. It creates a bright light like a small sun in the gate room. Everyone shields their eyes.]

ZELENKA Don't look at the blast!

SHEPPARD (caustic) Might have mentioned that before!

ZELENKA I'll see if I can divert more power to the shield. See if I can block more of the radiation.

[The light lessens, but the blast is still powerful, undulating within the limits of the shield. Sheppard and Teyla look at the area and walk towards the balcony.]

SHEPPARD And now what?

ZELENKA The shield continues to diffuse the energy of the blast. Every second it is contained within the shield, the explosion gets weaker.

SHEPPARD How long does it take?

[Zelenka's computer beeps.]

ZELENKA Oh, no.

SHEPPARD (stepping back towards Zelenka) What?

ZELENKA The shield needs at least another minute to contain the full brunt of the blast, but we're frying out the emitters. I don't know how much longer I can hold this.

SHEPPARD Shut down the city! Transfer all the power!

ZELENKA Yes, I'm trying.

[Zelenka types on his laptop.]

SHEPPARD (shouting) Everyone who doesn't need to be here, get to the edge of the city! Move! Everybody!

[The gate room personnel quickly evacuate. Sheppard points to Teyla.]

SHEPPARD You're gonna want to get out of here.

TEYLA John, I&hellip;

SHEPPARD (sharply) Teyla, please.

[With a torn expression, Teyla complies. Only Zelenka and Sheppard are left.]

SHEPPARD Come on. You can do it, Radek.

[He looks to the explosion. The bright yellow has dulled to a darker orange for the most part.]

SHEPPARD (encouraged) It's going down. We're going to make it.

ZELENKA (shaking his head) No. It's not enough.

[Sheppard stares at Zelenka's screen.]

EXT&mdash;ATLANTIS TOWER, DAY

[The bright shielded explosion is visible from all directions of the Stargate room in the central tower. The explosion, no longer contained, blasts out windows. Smoke pours out.]

TO BE CONTINUED

FADE OUT

END CREDITS

Transcribed for Solutions by Aurora Novarum, September 2008.

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--Michelle 14:04, 5 October 2008 (PDT)