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This episode is part 2 of 2; it is preceded by "Resurgence".
Gallery Episode Transcript

"Deliverance" is the eleventh episode of the second season of Stargate Universe.

Synopsis[]

Chloe Armstrong's transmission reveals Destiny's location to the Nakai, who arrive creating a distraction and buying time for Destiny to repel the Drones.

Prologue[]

A group of people are forced to evacuate to Destiny after an attack on Icarus Base by the Lucian Alliance, and are now trapped there. Dr. Nicholas Rush breaks the master code and discovers the Bridge. After the rest of the crew discovers the bridge, Rush asks Colonel Everett Young to embrace Destiny's mission. After a failed Alliance invasion, Homeworld Command believes an attack on Earth is being planned. Young is grief striken over the death of Sgt. Hunter Riley. The Nakai pathogen that Chloe Armstrong is infected with is beginning to change her skin and take control of her. After discovering a battlefield, Destiny awakens several Berzerker drones that launch an attack. They are rescued by the arrival of a Seed ship under the control of Colonel David Telford and the Ursini who need the expeditions help in destroying the Control Ship. During the battle, Chloe escapes her quarters and sends a message to the Nakai.

Plot[]

Destiny is still under attack by the berzerker drones. Eli Wallace notes that there are hundreds of them, more than they could ever shoot down given the situation. Colonel Everett Young suggests using the main weapon, but Dr. Nicholas Rush dismisses it, since it can't hit the fast-moving drones or the distant Control Ship.

In the Control interface room, Lt. Matthew Scott interrogates Chloe Armstrong on what she was doing at the console prior to being found. She admits to sending a signal. MSgt. Ronald Greer comes in with a security team, and Scott is quick to get them to stand down so he can continue his questioning. Chloe explains that the Nakai have followed them to their current galaxy, but thus far haven't been able to find Destiny. Thanks to her signal, however, they now know where to look. Within moments, three Nakai motherships drop out of hyperspace, which Dr. Dale Volker detects on the bridge. Greer accuses Chloe of betraying the crew and is prepared to shoot her, but Chloe insists that she's still in control. She claims that sending the signal was the only way to give Destiny a chance.

The drones suddenly break off from Destiny, splitting into groups to engage the new targets. Rush notes that they must be indiscriminate in their targets, attacking any alien technology. Eli believes that the reduced numbers may give them a fighting chance, though they are still numerous enough that Destiny cannot hold them all back.

Scott calls Young over the radio, explaining that Chloe signaled them as a diversionary tactic, hoping to draw away enough drones to make the Control Ship vulnerable. Young orders Chloe to be placed in a holding cell. As Scott locks her up, Chloe insists that she sent the signal for the crew's benefit. Scott seems unsure, and orders a three-man guard at all times.

Volker believes that they should use the opportunity to retreat, but Rush counters that they have nowhere to run. Colonel David Telford agrees with Rush; this may be their only chance to attack the Control Ship. Dr. Adam Brody notes that there is still a significant force of drones defending it, but Eli suggests that they may be able to disable the drones temporarily by jamming the subspace frequency used to coordinate them. Rush believes this is possible, so he and Eli begin to work on it while Destiny sets course for the Control Ship. Destiny takes heavy damage on approach, but Rush and Eli succeed in jamming the drone signal. The momentary break is enough for Destiny to close the gap and fire on the Control Ship, obliterating it in a few shots. With the Control Ship gone, the drones are dead in space. Rush praises Eli for the idea. The Nakai were hit hard, losing two ships. The third seems to be heavily damaged.

Scott visits Lt. Tamara Johansen in the infirmary. She informs him that there were no fatalities, only a large number of minor injuries and few serious burns. Chloe's guard, Cpl. Baras, had his arm broken in two places, a fact which surprises both of them.

Volker and Brody give Young a report about the status of Destiny's FTL drive. Though the drive itself will be repaired shortly, the shields are another matter. Four of the emitter relays have burnt out, all of which must be bypassed to restore full shield coverage and therefore FTL capability. Brody estimates that it will take a couple of hours, at least. Young asks where Rush is, so Brody points him to the control interface room.

Young enters the control interface room, where Rush is going over how Chloe managed to send a signal. She bypassed the bridge controls to do it, which is not an easy task. Though Young notes it was to their benefit, Rush doesn't believe they'll always be so lucky. Young is confused, as Rush seems to be fond of Chloe's new abilities. Rush clarifies that he would have helped her if he could, even though took the pragmatic approach in dealing with her. Now, however, they can no longer control her. Telford calls Young on the radio. He's been in contact with the Ursini on the Seed ship, and has learned of a new problem.

In the cafeteria, Telford explains that the Ursini didn't trust Destiny to escape at the first opportunity, hence why they took them straight into battle. Rush notes that it was never their fight in the first place. With the Control Ship gone, the Ursini attempted to contact their colony, only to discover that another cluster of drones is now occupying it. They are likely the last of their kind. Worse still, in contacting the colony, they have given away their position. Another Control Ship and its drones are on the way.

Brody and Volker are busy attempting to bypass one of the shield relays when Rush comes in to check on them. They believe they've successfully rigged up a bypass, and radio Dr. Lisa Park to begin powering it up. The relay holds at first, but overloads quickly once significant power is sent through it. Rush simply stares silently at their failure, to which Volker comments that it may take longer than they first believed.

In the cafeteria, another meeting is held to discuss options. Wray wonders why they can't just leave, so Rush explains that the shields need to be restored first, lest the ship be destroyed the second it jumps. There's no ETA on the arrival of the second drone cluster, so they could be attacked at any moment. Park asks if a diplomatic solution is possible, but this too is denied; the drones aren't alive or capable of reason, their sole purpose being to destroy any technology other than their own. Scott suggests another tandem jump using the seed ship, but Volker doesn't believe they could extend their shields around Destiny to make the jump safe. Regardless, Telford notes that the seed ship's FTL was permanently disabled after the last jump. Park suggests finding a way to jam the drone coordination signal permanently, but Rush doesn't see how they could without a better understanding of the technology. Eli believes that they should retrieve and study one of the drones to gain that understanding. One of the smaller ones could fit in the shuttle. Though his idea isn't well-received due to the danger involved, Rush agrees and convinces Young that they have no alternative.

Greer and Scott begin to put on the environmental suits, with Greer wondering whether it's a good idea to bring a drone on board. Scott notes that they don't get paid to think, and Greer joking notes that they don't get paid at all. Park joins them, as it's her turn to be the scientist in the suit. Greer congratulates her. Once they've suited up, they launch the shuttle to search for one of the smaller drones. The drones don't react to their presence.

Wray delivers a meal to Chloe, apologizing for the armed guards. Chloe doesn't mind, since she injured Barris pretty badly.

Upon locating a suitable drone, the shuttle crew puts on their helmets and vents the atmosphere. Park is somewhat nervous, but Greer talks her through it. Scott deactivates the artificial gravity so they can bring the drone inside through the rear hatch. Park guides Scott from the hatch. Once it's inside, Scott restores the artificial gravity. Despite the sudden drop, the drone shows no signs of activation. Young recalls the shuttle once they report their success, but the surviving Nakai mothership suddenly moves to block their return. It sends a simple message: "No escape."

In a meeting with Telford, Rush, and Wray, Young explains that the Nakai are holding the shuttle hostage in exchange for Destiny's help in dealing with the new cluster of drones. Rush believes that the aliens are just trying to buy time until they can repair their hyperdrive. Young suggests calling their bluff; the aliens are likely too damaged to want to fight, and will agree to any demands put to them. Rush adds that this is a chance to cure Chloe. The aliens surely possess the ability to reverse what they've done to her, and the alternative is to put Chloe off the ship at the first opportunity.

TJ explains the plan to Chloe, noting that her options are rather limited. Chloe is reluctant to go given her past experience with the aliens. TJ apologizes for being unable to cure Chloe. Scott is likewise opposed to the idea, since there's no guarantee the aliens will hold up their end of the bargain, but is convinced that they have no other options.

On the bridge, Rush signals the aliens, who agree to the plan. Telford believes that this might be what they intended all along, to take the knowledge of Destiny from Chloe's mind. He pulls Young aside to inform him that the seed ship has gone completely dark. He assumes the Ursini are playing possum, trying to make it appear as if their ship is dead to avoid attracting the drones. Young doesn't believe this would work for Destiny given its size. Telford argues that the Ursini have had more experience fighting the drones, but Young cynically counters that they were still wiped out.

The inactive drone is loaded onto the Kino sled and taken out of the shuttle. Brody, Volker, and Eli begin working on it. Meanwhile, Wray talks with Rush about his uncharacteristically helpful attitude. To her, it appears as if he is willing to risk the ship to help Chloe. Rush denies this, but Wray doesn't seem to believe him.

Scott personally takes Chloe to the Nakai mothership. Young sees them off. Just before they enter the shuttle, Chloe gives Young a kiss on the cheek. He wishes her luck. Scott pilots the shuttle into one of the mothership's hangers. Scott admits that he let her condition affect the way he sees her, but Chloe doesn't blame him for it. Though life on the ship has been hard, Scott's presence has made it better. She doesn't believe she'd have lasted as long without him. Scott believes otherwise, but she chides him not to contradict her during her moment. They both profess their love for each other. The rear hatch opens, revealing two Nakai. Chloe walks off with them.

Brody, Volker, and Eli have managed to access the drone's programming, but thus far have been unable to isolate its command subroutine. Rush praises their work, much to their surprise. He then suggests that Brody and Vokler return to working on the shield relays, as he wants the best people working on it. Though reluctant at first, they agree. Once they're gone, Eli expresses surprise at Rush giving compliments. Rush admits that he was just trying to get rid of them, and expects that they'll make actual progress now.

Scott tries to send a message to Destiny, but they don't respond. Not sure if he's being jammed, he continues anyway, explaining that the aliens took Chloe a few minutes ago. He doesn't intend to leave without her, and hopes she'll be okay. The aliens are busy operating on Chloe, preparing to stick some sort of large needle into her chest.

The Control Ship drops out of hyperspace and launches its armada of drones. They'll reach Destiny in twelve minutes. The inactive drones belonging to the previous control ship do not come back online. This gives Eli an idea. Young wants to know if the drone signal can be jammed, but Rush has determined that the drones will simply adapt to any attempt to do so. He informs Young that they may have an alternative, which he'll inform Young of as soon as he knows what it is.

With most of the scientists busy making repairs, the bridge is left in the control of Lt. Vanessa James, Telford, and Young. James is assigned to damage control, while Telford handles the weapons.

On the Nakai mothership, the shuttle's hatch opens to reveal Chloe, who is unconscious and suspended in some sort of anti-gravity field. Once Scott has her supported, it disengages.

The drones begin their attack on Destiny. Scott leaves the mothership and begins engaging the drones, insisting that his shielded shuttle is a lot better off than Destiny is when Young tries to recall him. The drones quickly realize that Destiny is vulnerable in its shielded areas. Eli, meanwhile, has discovered a friend-or-foe recognition subroutine in the drone's programming. The inactive drones could be reprogrammed to target the new drones. However, they will need to activate the drone to transmit the program. Young agrees, but dispatches a security team just in case. The Nakai mothership jumps to hyperspace, causing the drones that were attacking it to double back on Destiny. Young recalls Scott, since they are far too numerous to fight now.

With the full force of the drones upon them, Destiny is taking heavy damage. Suddenly, the drones veer off, heading for the now-active seed ship. The Ursini are making a beeline for the Control Ship, despite lacking the firepower to do any damage. They transmit an apology to Destiny, and Telford realizes that they are making a suicide run. Though the seed ship is destroyed before it can get close, the brief reprieve is enough for Rush and Eli to upload the new recognition codes to the inactive drones, which turn on the new drones. Brody and Volker have finished bypassing the damaged shield relays, but the shields are only at five percent, well below what they've ever attempted an FTL jump at. With no other choice, however, they jump anyway. Despite a bumpy start, the jump holds. Greer suggests that Eli deactivate the drone now that they're safe, to which Eli readily agrees.

TJ examines Chloe, seeing no signs of infection. Young still wants to keep her under observation for a few days, but is glad to have her back. Rush comes in at Chloe's request, and Young asks about the damage report he was repairing. Rush notes that it won't be pretty. Chloe thanks Rush for coming up with a way to cure her. She believes the aliens will be even more determined to take the ship now, which Rush doesn't deny. She passes him a small notebook, having attempted to work out some equations to test if she still could. Rush declares them to be perfect. Chloe believes that she should have been returned to normal, but Rush assumes that curing her did not remove the memories she gained while infected, which seems like a good thing. He believes everyone on the ship has a purpose. With all the coincidences that have conspired to aid them, he can no longer deny that fate may be at work.

Appearances[]

Appearances for Deliverance

Locations

Events

Items

Vehicles

Sentient Species

Languages

Organizations

Mentioned

Notable quotes[]

(Eli and Rush attempting to jam drone signal)
Eli: I should have just kept my mouth shut.
Rush: Patience, Eli...
(Drones shut down)
Rush: There. (Smiles at Eli) See what happens when you apply yourself.

(Chloe and Scott enter the Nakai mothership)
Chloe: If you would have asked me a couple of years ago where I'd be today, this would not have been one of my guesses.
Scott: Chloe, you were right. I let it get to me. I let it change the way I look at you.
Chloe: No, it's not your fault. The time that I have spent on that ship, I'm not going to lie, it's been hard. But some of it has also been amazing, and that is because of you. If you hadn't been there, I don't think I would have made it this far.
Scott: That's not true. You're much stronger than that; you just don't know it.
Chloe: This is my moment, okay? Don't contradict me. (They kiss) I love you.
Scott: I love you, too.

Rush: (to Volker and Brody) Eli and I'll take over from here. I need you two back on shield duty.
Brody: Ah, Kemp and his team—
Rush: Ah, they're very competent, I'm sure, but we're against the clock and I need to know my best people are on it.
Volker: Okay.
Rush: Full report in an hour, understand?
Brody: You got it.
Eli: Wow. That was almost nice.
Rush: Nah, they were just going to get in the way. Let's get down to some real work.
Eli: Ah.

Rush: Hey. You wanted to see me.
Chloe: Yeah. Matt told me it was your idea to send me over there.
Rush: Yeah. I'm sorry you had to go through that. There was no other way.
Chloe: No, I wanted to thank you. You saved my life. Again.
Rush: Well, you saved all of ours. It was the least I could do.
Chloe: They're never going to give up. You know that, right? Whatever information they got from me, it's just going to make them want the ship even more.
Rush: Yeah, I know.
Chloe: Before Matt came in I was working on some equations just to see if I could still do it.
Rush: They're perfect.
Chloe: But I'm supposed to be back to normal.
Rush: Obviously, they haven't, uh, wiped your memory. You managed to retain some of the knowledge you gained. I should think that's a good thing.
Chloe: Because I can still be useful.
Rush: Everyone on his ship is useful. Not just those that are capable of FTL calculations. We all belong here.
Chloe: You really believe that?
Rush: More and more every day. If Colonel Young hadn't left me on that planet to be found by those aliens, if they hadn't taken you, and you hadn't been put through that transformation, well, it's more than likely we wouldn't have survived this attack.
Chloe: So, everything happens for a reason.
Rush: Yeah, well, if you'd have said that to me a couple of years ago, I'd have dismissed it as superstition. Classic weak-minded response to the overwhelming complexity of the universe.
Chloe: And now?
Rush: Well, let's just say you're not the only one that's gone through some changes. You should get some rest.
Chloe: Yeah.

Cast[]

Main Characters

Guest Stars

Notes[]

  • The title was revealed on the May 27, 2010 entry on Joseph Mallozzi's weblog. A continuation of "Resurgence", the rejected placeholder joke titles for the episode include "Resurgence II: The Heretic", "Resurgence II: Electric Boogaloo" and "Still Resurging".
  • The scenario in which Destiny's crew bring a drone aboard is similar to the scenario in "The Serpent's Venom" when SG-1 and Jacob Carter bring a Tobin mine aboard Selmak's Tel'tak. In both cases, the intention was to reprogram the device to attack an enemy ship, and involved very delicate work to handle the device itself which put the ship it was aboard at great risk. However, in both scenarios, the teams succeed in their goals. Albeit, the outcome makes little difference in the grand scheme.

Other languages[]

  • Czech: Osvobození (Liberation)
  • Hungarian: Megszabadulás (Release)

External Links[]

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