Bane

"Bane" is the tenth episode of the second season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
On a mission, Teal'c is bitten by a bug which overwhelmed the planet's previous civilization. He soon falls ill and his symbiote can't heal him. To make matters worse, the NID takes him away to study the affects of the bite. However, he manages to escape and is on the loose. The race is on to find him, not only to find him first but to prevent a worldwide infestation.

Plot
SG-1 visits a world named Svoriin, which appears to be at a technological level slightly above that of Earth. The city surrounding the gate, however, appears deserted, though entirely intact. After a brief recon, SG-1 stops in a plaza to discuss what might have caused the city's to desertion, but are interrupted when a large insect lands on Teal'c. Colonel Jack O'Neill moves to shoot the insect off Teal'c, but as he cocks the gun Teal'c is stung and the insect flies away. Captain Samantha Carter and Jack attempt to treat Teal'c's wound, but a swarm of the insects attacks and SG-1 is forced flee through the Stargate back to Stargate Command. Teal'c is examined by Dr. Janet Fraiser, but he tells her that his symbiote is not healing him. Fraiser explains to SG-1 and Major General George S. Hammond that Teal'c seems to be suffering from a viral infection and that his symbiote is not able to cure it. As well, a blood sample shows that there is a small amount of DNA present that is not Teal'c's. Carter recommends a Dr. Timothy Harlow be brought in to help, as he's already cleared for the Stargate program and working for The Pentagon in DNA research.

After Harlow arrives, he conducts secondary tests on the blood sample from Teal'c and finds that it is now completely changed to the alien insect DNA. Harlow concludes that the insect's venom is converting Teal'c's DNA into its own, which will eventually convert him into one of the alien insects, and that the Goa'uld symbiote is unable to reverse the process, only slow it down. In the infirmary, Teal'c asks Jack to kill him if there's no hope for recovery, as he does not wish to become the alien insect. Shortly afterwards, Colonel Harold Maybourne arrives at the SGC and gives General Hammond orders to turn Teal'c over to the NID for further treatment - and study, if Teal'c cannot be cured and turns into the insect. Carter then confronts Harlow, who admits it was he who informed the NID and requested their help. Teal'c is restrained and taken away in a van by the NID, but breaks free of his restraints in transit and escapes.

The SGC receives a distress call from the van that was transporting Teal'c, and SG-1 is dispatched, finding the van crashed, but the driver and passengers are alive. SG-1 also finds Junior, which he has deliberately removed, Doctor Harlow suggests this is because he is mentally unstable due of the change he is undergoing. The SGC begins a search as Doctor Fraiser tries to keep Teal'c's symbiote alive, with limited success. Teal'c uses a two way radio to contact Jack and tells him to call off the search, Jack asks him to give himself up so they can cure him, but Teal'c drops the radio and continues to flee. A manhunt begins, with the SGC attempting to find Teal'c before the NID can, so that they may resume treating him, rightly suspicious of the NID's intentions. It is realized that Teal'c is outside the SGC's perimeter, however, and therefore outside their. Local police are ordered to report to the NID, so the SGC attempts to quietly locate Teal'c first, though without legal authority.

Doctor Fraiser, though, has trouble keeping the symbiote alive and is unable to find a solution. Dr. Timothy Harlow then offers a new type of drug to help Teal'c, but first a sample of the insect venom is needed. Dr. Daniel Jackson, Carter and O'Neill return to Svoriin, and arrive back at the SGC late, but retrieve one of the alien insects. Doctor Harlow studies the insect and collects a sample of the venom while SG-1 shows General Hammond video footage of the city, explaining that they found some of the city's former inhabitants, all of which were in very late stages of transforming into not individual insects, but swarms thereof.

Teal'c, meanwhile, finds his way into Colorado Springs, and takes shelter in an abandoned building. He is discovered by a young girl, Allyson Martin, who shares a chocolate bar with him. Teal'c asks her to buy him more food, and when she returns, she finds him in a much worse state than when she left, as he is now covered in lesions. Ally suspects that he is wanted by the law, and offers him a place to hide in the abandoned building. At the SGC, Doctor Harlow is able to find a drug capable of slowing the transformation, and with the assistance of a symbiote, reverse it, but the Goa'uld symbiote is still inexplicably dying. General Hammond, meanwhile, is able to have the police report to the SGC instead of the NID, but the President of the United States does not cancel the NID's search.

The NID storms the building Teal'c is hiding in, but cannot find him, thanks to Ally's hiding place. At the SGC, Doctor Fraiser saves the symbiote by providing it with an electrical current. Ally is made even more suspicious by the NID storming of the building, and when she returns to Teal'c, realizes he is in a much more advanced stage of the transformation process, as he is partially covered in a form of cocoon. Ally asks Teal'c if he wants help, he agrees and Ally makes a call to a friend of her father who "they can trust". She is eventually put through to Jack O'Neill. Teal'c is located due to Ally, and recovers, thanks to Doctor Harlow and Doctor Fraiser. Harlow makes amends for telling the NID about Teal'c's illness in the first place, by destroying the samples of the alien insect so the NID does not get a chance to experiment with it. Teal'c returns to the abandoned building after he is fully recovered and rewards Ally by giving her a new water blaster and spending time playing with her. He even sprays Daniel.

Notable Quotes
Teal'c: To show my gratitude, I have brought you a new weapon. One with increased firepower and range. (He hands Ally a new water gun)

Ally: Wicked! This is so cool! Have any time to play?

Daniel: Actually we- (Ally shoots Teal'c and runs away) ...Guess we shouldn't have loaded it, huh?

Teal'c: (Puts on sunglasses) How else would she defend herself? (He pulls out his own water gun, shoots Daniel and chases after Ally)

O'Neill: Sir, I request permission to beat the crap out of this man. (to General Hammond, concerning Maybourne)

Ally: What's in it for me?

Teal'c: Peanut and Caramel.

Ally: I don't like the way you smell. (to Maybourne)

Ally: If you stay here you're a sitting duck.

Teal'c: And ducks are... bad?

Ally: Um... The sitting kind are...

Goofs

 * When SG-1 return from the planet the second time, the technician says incoming wormhole and confirms that it's SG-1. The gate opens only after she confirms it's SG-1. This is obviously a mistake as the signal confirming SG-1 needs a wormhole to transmit through.

In other Languages

 * Hungarian: Nyolcadik csapás
 * German: Insekten des Todes
 * French : Le Fléau
 * Italian: Veleno
 * Spanish: Pesadilla