Sabotage

Sabotage
Production
Series	Stargate Universe
Episode	116
Production #	116
Original air date	May 7, 2010
Written by	Barbara Marshall
Directed by	Peter DeLuise
More Information
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Transcript
Credits
Chronology
Preceded by	Lost
Followed by	Pain

Template:Universe-1 "Sabotage" is the sixteenth episode in the first season of Stargate Universe.

Synopsis

One of Destiny's FTL drives explodes during its trip across the galactic void. Unless it's repaired, Destiny will be unable to reach the next galaxy. The expedition uses the communication stones to call a brilliant mind from Earth to help repair the drive. Meanwhile, the blue aliens capitalize on Destiny's unexpected problems and mount an invasion.

Prologue

A group of people are stuck on Destiny after an attack on Icarus Base, and are now trapped there. Eli Wallace, Chloe Armstrong, and Matthew Scott are stranded during a mission, and the expedition is unable to rescue them before Destiny begins its journey across the galactic void.

Plot

Everett Young is in his quarters when he is contacted by Vanessa James on the radio. He has convened a meeting in the gate room and everyone is gathered. Once he gets to the gate room, he informs the crew that Destiny is currently traveling across the void between galaxies, and thus it will be some time before they can replenish their supplies. As such, water and food rationing will be reinstated until it's no longer necessary. Their trip across the void has also removed any possibility of rescuing Eli Wallace, Chloe Armstrong, and Matthew Scott. Nicholas Rush contacts Young on the radio, asking him to come to the control interface room. Young ends the meeting.

In the control room, Rush informs Young that Destiny lacks the necessary power to cross the void; it is going to fall short. They are joined by Camile Wray, Adam Brody, and Dale Volker. Rush has no idea how to fix the problem. Brody suggests that they attempt to upgrade the FTL drives, making them more efficient, but Volker counters that they have no understanding of the technology. Rush, however, knows someone who can help: Amanda Perry, a hyperdrive specialist on Earth with the necessary background. However, she is quadriplegic, which will be an issue for the person who uses the long-range communication device.

In the communication room, James volunteers to swap places with the scientist. However, she finds herself unable to cope with her host's condition and hastily breaks the connection, knocking the device off the table in her panic. Wray takes her place, and has an easier time. She is briefed on her condition and is told that Carl Strom would like to speak with her. Instead, she wishes to spend her time with Sharon.

In the mess hall, James talks with Tamara Johansen about her experience, feeling that she let Young down. Rush comes in with Amanda, showing her around. James excuses herself, not wanting to talk despite Amanda recognizing her. While Amanda tries an alien fruit the expedition found, James retreats into the hallway, where she suddenly freezes in place.

At her home on Earth, Wray gets settled in. Her aide, Mary, explains the various needs of Amanda's body to Sharon. During dinner, Sharon tries to tell Wray about a book club she joined, but Wray has trouble concentrating on both the conversation and eating the food Mary is slowly feeding her. Sharon offers to take over, and assures Wray that despite the circumstances, her being home is what's important.

Amanda begins to work with the expedition on increasing FTL efficiency when a sudden explosion in the drive section rocks the ship. Destiny is now adrift. TJ begins treating the wounded. Among those brought in is James. She describes having blacked out in the hallway, then finding herself in a different area of the ship moments before the explosion occurred. Despite the odd timing, TJ figures that a concussion may have caused short-term memory loss. Moments later, Jeremy Franklin is brought in. He is still unresponsive to his environment, though at least able to sit up straight. When he looks at James, he appears to have something to say, but doesn't talk.

An investigation reveals that there was an overload in the FTL system. Volker uses a Kino to investigate the damage, monitored by Amanda and Rush. However, before they can investigate further, an incoming wormhole is detected. Rush radios Greer, who brings a security team to the gate room. By the time he arrives, however, Rush assures him that there is no need for concern; it is Scott's team. Destiny's unexpected drop to FTL made it possible for the team to return. Greer embraces Scott, while Eli returns Rush's glasses, which he took from the disabled blue alien fighter. Young is glad to see everyone is back, but has to put Eli to work with everyone else trying to fix the FTL drive.

Eli is reading in his room when he approached by Amanda, who needs some equations Eli was working on. She playfully calls him "Math Boy", but Eli would prefer she not use the nickname. She relates how Rush would call her "Ms. Brilliant", and that her attempts to call him "Mr. Brilliant" never stuck. She congratulates him on solving the equation to unlock the ninth chevron, so Eli sarcastically points out where it got him. Amanda, however, would give anything to be on Destiny. She talks about her time spent with Rush, expressing her attraction to him. Eli is surprised she could find Rush attractive, which she misconstrues as disbelief that a disabled person could have such feelings. Eli quickly corrects her, his surprise having to do with Rush's abrasive personality. She excuses herself while Eli is still slightly shocked by her admission.

In the control interface room, Rush, Amanda, and Eli jointly explain how the FTL drive has 16 individual units, and that one of them has overloaded. While this is a problem in the short term, in the long-term it will prove to be a benefit. The unit which exploded was the most inefficient one, and with it out of the equation the remaining units will be able to carry Destiny across the void. Without access to the ship's systems, it has to be disconnected manually to accomplish this, but fortunately the robot found during their time orbiting the Obelisk planet is a maintenance robot that can carry out most if not all of the necessary repairs. Amanda and Eli leave to brief Scott in how to deliver the robot using the shuttle. Young asks Rush their chances of repairing the damage. Rush believes it's a fair chance, but points out that someone using the early repository of knowledge could bypass the damage with a single command. Young decides to be the volunteer if necessary.

Meanwhile, Young prepares a mission to visit the planet Scott's team arrived from, since it could help bolster their food and water supplies. TJ wants to go with them, and despite some initial reluctance Young allows her to. The gate is dialed and Young has Eli dispatch a Kino to survey the planet. Having just come from there, Eli doesn't see the need, but Young insists that it's standard procedure. Eli is skeptical, but Young's actions prove vital: the Kino is almost immediately shot down by two blue alien fighters. He orders the gate shut down. Without a remote, the blue aliens cannot follow, but likewise there is no way to get to the planet now.

Three weeks pass, and the day to day activities of the crew are shown in a montage. Scott is leading groups of people running laps around the ship. Brody has devised a still and has Chloe and James test the result. James feeds Franklin. Wray is being cared for at home. Darren Becker is giving the military officers haircuts. Amanda and Rush are busy working. Finally, Eli is monitoring the progress of the maintenance robot, which has disconnected the damaged FTL unit.

When Amanda questions what they do for fun on the ship, Rush takes her to the mess hall to try some liquor from Brody's new still. It is rather strong. Amanda sees being able to move freely as a dream come true, and laments that much of her time must be spent working, after which she'll have to go back to her own body. Rush walks her to her room. On the way, she asks if he realized her feelings for him during their talks. He did, and admires her brillance. Amanda invites him in, hoping to be able to sleep with him once while she has the chance. Rush politely rejects her, both because she is using Wray's body and because of his recent lucid dream in which he relived his wife's death. Amanda accepts the explanation, but is glad to at least be able to actually give Rush a comforting hug this time around. At that moment, TJ comes in to get them, since Young needs to see them in the communication room.

Wray sends Sharon on a grocery run so she'll get outside for a short time. However, Sharon takes several hours longer than anticipated, and in her absence Wray began to fear the worst. Sharon calms her down, knowing how it feels to worry about a loved one. Wray suddenly goes rigid and her eyes roll back into her head. Sharon calls for Mary in desperation. Mary assures her that Wray will be fine and starts telling her what to do.

It is believed that James was taken over by a blue alien, who then used her to sabotage the FTL unit. James began to suspect this when she described her blackout to Chloe; she was trapped in a dark room, and felt that her body was not her own. Upon investigation of the communication stones, it is revealed that James' stone was knocked off the table in her earlier panic. Without clearing her imprint on the stone, one of the aliens could have used their stone to access to her body. Rush isn't worried at first; space is vast and the aliens have no way of tracking Destiny. Eli, however, points out that if the aliens have the technical expertise to overload one of the drive units to stop the ship, they more than likely could have broadcast Destiny's position to their fleet, or at the very least figured it out and reported it upon switching back; in all likelihood, they are coming.

In preparation for the attack, Young writes letters meant for TJ and Scott, as he plans to use the chair. Scott is put in charge of the weapons systems, while Greer is put in charge of the strike teams. On Earth, Wray apologizes to Sharon, knowing that her panic is what incited her brief seizure. Major Green arrives to inform Wray that she may be switching back unexpectedly and it would be best to take her back to an Air Force facility. She and Sharon say their goodbyes.

Two blue alien motherships drop out of FTL and begin their attack. Young prepares to use the chair. Meanwhile, James is taking care of Franklin, who suddenly grabs her arm and says "the chair". James reports this to Young, believing that Franklin is volunteering himself to sit in the chair. Young does not want to sacrifice someone else, but both James and Rush insist Franklin be given the chance to decide for himself. Franklin nods "yes" when asked if it's what he wants. He is brought to the chair and sits in it. Once the interface engages, the temperature in the room begins to fall rapidly. Franklin tells everyone to go. Riley is left to guard the door. The aliens begin to overwhelm Destiny, and are poised to board, but Franklin bypasses the damage and engages the FTL, destroying the fighters attempting to dock in the process.

Now that Destiny is safe, Amanda feels it's time to return home. She says her goodbyes to Rush and deactivates the communication device, bringing Wray back. Meanwhile, Young heads back to the chair room to check on Franklin. He has vanished.

References

Blue alien; Blue alien mothership; Long-range communication stone; Destiny; Faster-Than-Light engine; Alien attack in the void; Long-range communication device; Earth; Unnamed galaxy (Stargate Universe)

Background notes

Production

• When Joseph Mallozzi pitched out clues for the title of this episode, they were that the title shares the title of a song by The Beastie Boys, and is the name of a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Controversy

The direction towards the character, Amanda Perry, garnered controversy on two fronts. Some were critical of the character's rather insensitive description, particularly that the disabled character "is physically useless" as well as insinuating that disabled peoples are not able to have an intimate relationship. In addition, LGBT rights criticized the use of Camile Wray's body for heterosexual sex. The actual sex was cut from the episode.

Producers of SGU have since apologized and clarified that Perry's character description was not their own, but that of an external casting agency and was never meant to be made public. They have also emphasized the equal role Wray's relationship has in the series, to that of heterosexual relationships.