STARGATE SG1
Episode 804
"ZERO HOUR"
By
Robert C. Cooper
Transcribed by
Callie Sullivan
SGC. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE CONTROL ROOM. The elevator doors open
and Jack exits. Walter is waiting for him and hands him a mug
of coffee.
WALTER
Morning, sir.
O'NEILL
Walter.
(On the screen appear the words “FIVE DAYS TO ZERO HOUR”.)
WALTER
At oh seven thirty this morning, SG-8
made scheduled contact from P6J-908.
They requested permission to bring an
alien lifeform back to the base for
further study. (Jack is sniffing his
coffee suspiciously, but now looks at
Walter, who holds up his hand reassuringly.)
Sir, it’s just a plant. Your oh eight
thirty debriefing is SG-2 regarding
their mission to P8F-809. Folder’s on
your desk, and with the personnel files
you have yet to review.
O'NEILL
How many do I have left?
WALTER
All of them.
O'NEILL
Right! (He and Walter head up the stairs
to the Briefing Room where a man in
a suit and two technicians are looking
at papers on the table.)
WALTER
Colonel Rudnell has asked me to show
you some bunting samples, and, um, Captain
Corrigan’s still awaiting approval on
the buffet menu.
O'NEILL
Bunting. (Walter shrugs.) (To the man
in the suit.) John.
(Prior turns to face him.)
PRIOR
General.
O'NEILL
You are aware of the fact that this
is the most secure military facility
on the face of the planet.
PRIOR
Well, actually, sir, there are still
a number of issues to be resolved.
WALTER
Ten hundred hours, sir.
O'NEILL
Thank you. (He smiles at John and walks
away towards his office. Walter heads
off in another direction. As Jack reaches
the door, he sees a man sitting in the
seat opposite his desk. The man stands
and straightens his jacket. Jack turns
back towards the Briefing Room.)
O'NEILL
Walter!
(Walter has already returned and is right behind him.)
WALTER
Sorry, sir. General O’Neill - Mark Gilmor.
He’s your new administrative aide.
GILMOR
General.
O'NEILL
Did I order a new ...
WALTER
No, sir.
O'NEILL
Do I really need ...
WALTER
Yes, sir.
(Jack turns to Gilmor.)
O'NEILL
Civilian?
GILMOR
I’ve, uh, been an analyst at the CIA
for the last eight years - mostly background
checks but I did have top-level clearance.
WALTER
He was assigned by General Hammond.
O'NEILL
Ah, well, in that case (he walks over
to Gilmor and shakes his hand) welcome
aboard. How about if I give you a tour
around?
GILMOR
Ah. Had one, sir.
O'NEILL
Damn.
GILMOR
Very exciting to finally see it all
in action.
O'NEILL
Mm.
WALTER
General, your oh eight thirty.
O'NEILL
Yes. (To Gilmor) You’re here to assist
me, right? How about if you dive into
...
WALTER
Sir, sir, sir, you really need to read
the file yourself. (Jack looks at him.)
Yeah. Yeah.
O'NEILL
Thank you, Walter. (He looks at Gilmor,
then turns to Walter again.) Does Mr
Gilmor have ...
WALTER
Follow me. (The two of them leave the
room, leaving Jack standing there.)
(Walter escorts Gilmor to a nearby office.)
GILMOR
Well, he’s not like other generals.
WALTER
Actually, he’s not like other ... people.
GILMOR
Ah. (He gestures to the large pile of
papers waiting for him on his desk.)
I take it I’ve got some catching up
to do.
WALTER
Yeah, and those are just the files pertinent
to today’s agenda, so ... (he nods and
smiles.)
GILMOR
Well, I’d better get started.
WALTER
I can’t tell you how happy we all are
to have you here.
GILMOR
Thank you, Sergeant.
WALTER
Really, really happy.
GILMOR
Thank you, Sergeant.
(Walter smiles, then turns and walks away. Gilmor picks up his
phone and dials.)
GILMOR
I’m in position. ... No, sir, he does
not suspect a thing.
JACK’S OFFICE. Jack is holding a large rosette of bunting up
in front of his face. He lowers it.
O'NEILL
Nothing in peridot?
WALTER
Well, traditionally, sir, this type
of event calls for red, white and blue.
(Gilmor knocks at the door.)
GILMOR
Scuse me, sir, General Hammond is on
the phone from the Pentagon, and SG-1
is here for the thirteen hundred briefing.
O'NEILL
Thank you. (Gilmor walks away. Jack
looks at Walter.) Walter, I just don’t
have the decorating gene - would you
mind? (He hands his rosette to him.)
WALTER
Yes, sir. (He gathers up all the bunting
and leaves.)
(Jack sits down and picks up the phone.)
O'NEILL
Sir. ... General, how are you? ... I
know, sir, but every time I open my
mouth to say ‘George’, ‘General’ comes
out.
(In the Briefing Room, SG-1 and Gilmor are waiting. Sam and Daniel
are standing and looking rather impatient, while Teal’c sits
at the table. Gilmor stands near the steps down to the Control
Room. Jack finishes his conversation with General Hammond and
comes out.)
O'NEILL
Okay.
CARTER
General.
O'NEILL
Colonel! We’ve all met.
DANIEL
Yes, actually, we know each other’s
life stories.
O'NEILL
That snippiness?
DANIEL
Is that a word?
O'NEILL
What you got?
DANIEL
A Gate address. A planet formerly in
Anubis’ domain that apparently Ba’al
hasn’t discovered yet.
CARTER
We believe it may be home to an abandoned
base.
O'NEILL
And just chock full of abandoned weapons?
(He smiles.)
DANIEL
Wouldn’t you know?!
(Teal’c comes forward holding a small device.)
TEAL'C
This device was procured from Jaffa
formerly loyal to Anubis. It should
allow us access to the base.
(Jack takes the device and looks at it, then turns to Gilmor.)
O'NEILL
When’s the next opening?
GILMOR
Oh eight hundred tomorrow morning.
CARTER
Tomorrow?
O'NEILL
I’ve got fourteen teams out there.
CARTER
I’m sorry - operations protocol?
O'NEILL
Is it? (He hands the device back to
Teal’c.)
CARTER
Sir, the MALP showed no indication of
any Goa’uld activity.
O'NEILL
I still want SG-3 to cover your flanks.
CARTER
It’s just recon.
O'NEILL
All the more reason you can wait another
day.
(The Gate starts dialling in. Alarms sound.)
WALTER
Incoming wormhole.
(Jack looks at Gilmor.)
GILMOR
SG-5 and the representatives from Amra
to discuss the pending trade agreement.
O'NEILL
Oy! (To SG-1) Love to stay and chat.
(He starts to leave.)
DANIEL
Jack, if those rebel Jaffa know about
it, it’s only a matter of time before
Ba’al knows about it.
O'NEILL
One day, Daniel! One day.
(Sam heads off, while Daniel and Teal’c walk to the window to
watch SG-5 arrive through the Gate with two men wearing long
robes.)
DANIEL
There’s one negotiation I’m glad I’m
not part of.
DOCTOR LEE’S LAB. Jack is looking through a magnifying glass
at a plant on the table. The plant, in a large pot, is about
six inches tall.
O'NEILL
It’s a plant.
LEE
Exactly. Twenty minutes ago it was a
seed.
GILMOR
E-excuse me, sir, if you don’t mind
my asking - is it really wise to be
bringing alien lifeforms through the
Gate?
O'NEILL
It’s a plant.
LEE
Yeah. And besides, offworld teams follow
strict safety protocols in determining
what to bring back to Earth. Y’know,
if humankind is gonna benefit from what
we find out there, we have to be able
to study it in controlled situations.
O'NEILL
It’s a plant.
LEE
I know, I-I know - and I know our mandate
is to seek our new weapons and technology
to defend the planet from our enemies,
but wouldn’t it be cool if we could
exploit the wonders of the galaxy for
other beneficial purposes, like curing
disease or, well - in this case - possibly,
solving world hunger.
O'NEILL
Speaking of which ... (He leaves the
room just as the phone rings. Doctor
Lee answers it.)
LEE
Doctor Lee speaking. ... (He covers
the phone and calls out.) General! They
want you in the Briefing Room!
SAM’S LAB. Sam is working on a computer. Daniel and Teal’c walk
in.
DANIEL
Hey! You, uh, wanna get some lunch?
CARTER
No, I’m fine.
DANIEL
You just gonna sit in here all day and,
uh ...
CARTER
I’m not sulking.
DANIEL
Working. Gonna say ‘working’.
TEAL'C
O’Neill merely believes that ...
CARTER
Guys, I’m fine.
DANIEL
You can hardly blame him for wanting
to send in back-up. I’m sure it has
nothing to do with you ...
CARTER
I understand. He’s just being cautious.
(She looks at the two men for a moment.
They smile back at her.) Thanks, guys.
(Daniel and Teal’c leave. Sam smiles fondly.)
CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE BRIEFING ROOM. Jack and Gilmor come out
of the elevator to find Major Davis waiting for them.
DAVIS
General, if I might have a moment with
you. We’re completely stalled. The Amrians
can’t agree with each other, let alone
us. They’re like (he does a ‘yack yack
yack’ motion with his fingers) bickering
children.
O'NEILL
Maybe they need a time-out. (He and
Gilmor head towards the Briefing Room.)
BRIEFING ROOM. The two Amrian delegates are standing facing each
other.
AMRIAN 1
The Plains of Goran are sacred ground.
AMRIAN 2
To the Plainsmen.
AMRIAN 1
I am a Plainsman.
AMRIAN 2
I know.
AMRIAN 1
I take offence at that.
AMRIAN 2
Offence - now there’s an idea!
O'NEILL
Howdy, folks.
AMRIAN 1
General, I think it would be best ...
O'NEILL
What d’you say we take a little break?
All this negotiating, it’s just exhausting,
and you’ve been at it a whole (he consults
his watch) hour already. We’ve prepared
special quarters for you. You can relax,
get a massage, room service, whatever
you need. (He gestures.) C’mon, I’ll
show you. (He heads out of the room.
The delegates follow.)
THE ‘SPECIAL QUARTERS’. An airman opens the door to the room.
Jack walks in. The delegates follow. The room is not large, and
has little furniture apart from a table in the middle of the
room with a fruit basket on it.
O'NEILL
Huh?! Fellas! (He bends down to pick
up an apple that has fallen to the floor
and tosses it into the air and catches
it.) What d’you think? (The delegates
look at him disbelievingly.) Alright,
so it’s not the Ritz but we do what
we can around here. (He walks towards
the door.) Knock twice when you’re ready
to talk like adults, alright?
AMRIAN 1
W-w-wait, General!
AMRIAN 2
You don’t expect us to share one room?!
O'NEILL
Not ... amicably at first, but I have
great hope for you boys.
(The delegates run towards the door but Jack slams it shut and
locks it before waving the key in the delegates’ faces through
the window in the door.)
AMRIAN 1
You can’t do this!
AMRIAN 2
Open this door at once!
(Jack tosses the key to the airman standing outside.)
O'NEILL
Nobody gets out. (He walks away.)
JACK’S OFFICE. Jack walks in, sits down, opens up a laptop on
his desk and starts to type. A voiceover relays what he is typing.
O'NEILL
Dear General Hammond. Wish you were
here and that I was not.
(The phone rings. Jack picks it up.)
O'NEILL
O’Neill. (Fade out.)
SGC. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE CONTROL ROOM. The elevator doors open
and Jack exits. Gilmor is waiting for him.
(On the screen appear the words “FOUR DAYS TO ZERO HOUR”.)
GILMOR
Good morning, sir. (Jack turns as if
to go back into the elevator but then
reluctantly turns back to face Gilmor
again.) The delegates from Amra are
furious - they are demanding to be released
and say there’s no chance that a trade
agreement will ever happen between our
governments now.
O'NEILL
Did they try the donuts? You made sure
they were Krispy Kremes, right?
GILMOR
Uh, shall I release them and send them
home, sir?
O'NEILL
Give ‘em another day.
GILMOR
But, sir, I ...
O'NEILL
No coffee?
GILMOR
Uh, sorry, I can get some ...
O'NEILL
What’s next?
GILMOR
Uh, well, uh, Doctor Lee needs to see
you right away concerning the plant
from P6J-908; uh, SG-1 and -3 are in
the Gateroom preparing to embark; and,
oh, it turns out that the red, white
and blue bunting is ... unavailable.
O'NEILL
No bunting.
GILMOR
They can get some blue and white and
mix in some red.
O'NEILL
It just won’t be the same. (He walks
away.)
GATEROOM. The Gate whooshes. The side door opens and Jack walks
in. SG-1 and SG-3 are already waiting.
CARTER
Sir.
O'NEILL
Good morning, people. Sure wish I was
going with you, but I’ve got a big day
planned, tasting menu items for the
buffet!
(Daniel and SG-3 head up the ramp.)
CARTER
Have fun, sir.
O'NEILL
You know I will. (More seriously.) Watch
your back. (Sam heads up the ramp. As
Teal’c walks past him, Jack taps him.)
Mind the curfew. (He turns and wistfully
watches everyone go through the Gate.)
P2X-887. It’s yet another planet with lots of trees. SG-1 and
SG-3 come through the Gate into a clearing.
CARTER
SG-3, hold here.
REYNOLDS
Colonel?
CARTER
Colonel?
REYNOLDS
Boscoe and Peterson can watch the Gate.
CARTER
We’re fine. Simple recon - we’ll stay
in radio contact. (She and the rest
of SG-1 walk away.)
REYNOLDS
Standard perimeter.
SGC. DOCTOR LEE’S LAB. The plant has taken over the lab. It’s
all up the walls, all over the desks and floor. Siler is hacking
at part of it. Lee comes over to Jack.
LEE
Well, the good news is it hasn’t eaten
anybody yet.
O'NEILL
Well, thank you, Seymour!
LEE
Yeah, obviously we underestimated its
growth properties. It seems to respond
really dramatically to any kind of visible
light. (Jack looks at him for a moment,
then turns and flicks the light switch
on the wall. The lights go out. Jack
turns again to look at Lee.) Yeah, well,
I thought of that. I just thought you
might like to see it. (Jack rolls his
eyes and turns to go. The plant is already
out in the corridor, covering the walls.)
Don’t worry, we’ll get it under control.
(Jack walks off.) Sir? (He looks up
at the foliage over his head, looking
rather pleased with himself.)
P2X-887. SG-1 are carrying out their recon. Teal’c squats down
to look at something on the ground.
TEAL'C
There are signs of recent Jaffa activity
in the area.
(Sam and Daniel walk over to join him.)
CARTER
Try the wrist device again.
TEAL'C
I have tried it several times. (He activates
it again.)
CARTER
I’m getting some faint energy readings.
(Transporter rings rise up around the three of them and whisk
them away.)
P2X-887. STARGATE. Reynolds looks at his watch, then activates
his radio.
REYNOLDS
SG-1 leader, this is SG-3 leader, come
in? (There is no response.) Peterson,
you’re with me. Boscoe, if we don’t
make radio contact in ten minutes, dial
Earth and report in. (He glances upward.)
Take cover! (Everybody ducks as an alkesh
flies right over their heads, then flies
off. Reynolds turns to watch it go.)
Son of a bitch!
SGC. JACK’S OFFICE. Jack is doing paperwork and looking very
tired. Gilmor knocks on the door.
GILMOR
Sir, Colonel Reynolds has dialled in
from P2X-887. He’s lost contact with
SG-1.
CONTROL ROOM. Reynolds is reporting in via the camera on the
MALP.
REYNOLDS
One alkesh. It buzzed the Gate and flew
off. No sign of the enemy since then,
sir. I’ve been unable to make radio
contact with SG-1 (he consults his watch)
going on nineteen minutes. Requesting
back-up and permission to begin searching.
O'NEILL
SG-10 and -12. (Gilmor leaves the room.
Jack turns back to the microphone.)
Back-up on the way.
REYNOLDS
Thank you, sir. (He switches off the
camera.)
CORRIDOR. The alien plant is all around the walls. Jack and Lee
walk down the corridor.
LEE
We’ll have to close down the entire
level; seal it off. Not only does it
have amazing growth properties but it’s
proving extremely difficult to eradicate.
(They round a corner and see Siler using
a flamethrower on the plant with no
result. Lee sneezes.) We think it’s,
uh, using the ventilation shafts to
spread airborne spores.
(Alarms sound. Jack heads for the Gateroom.)
CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE GATEROOM. SG-3, -10 and -12 are coming out
of the Gateroom. Jack meets Colonel Reynolds at the doorway to
the Gateroom.
REYNOLDS
We looked everywhere. No sign of them.
I’m sorry, sir.
O'NEILL
You were there to watch their backs.
REYNOLDS
Yes, sir. Colonel Carter insisted we
secure the Gate.
(Alarms sound as the Gate starts dialling in.)
WALTER
Unauthorised incoming wormhole.
(Jack and Reynolds go back into the Gateroom. Jack looks up to
the Control Room and opens his hands in a ‘what?’ gesture.)
WALTER
No IDC yet, sir.
(There’s a shimmering, and a hologram of Ba’al appears at the
bottom of the ramp. All the SFs raise their weapons.)
O'NEILL
Stand down, boys. (To Ba’al) And what
do you want?
BA’AL
I have your friends.
O'NEILL
And?
BA’AL
I propose an exchange.
O'NEILL
For what?
BA’AL
Not what - whom.
O'NEILL
Whatever.
BA’AL
Camulus.
O'NEILL
Who?
BA’AL
I’ll transmit a Gate address. You will
send him to me if you want to see your
friends alive again.
O'NEILL
Let me think about it.
BA’AL
You have one day.
O'NEILL
Is that, like, one Earth day, or ...
(he shrugs).
(Ba’al’s image disappears.)
SGC. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE CONTROL ROOM. The elevator doors open
and Jack exits. Gilmor is waiting for him and hands him a mug
of coffee.
(On the screen appear the words “THREE DAYS TO ZERO HOUR”.)
GILMOR
Nothing reported from the teams in the
field, rebel Jaffa, the Tok’Ra (Jack
hands the mug to Siler as he walks past),
nobody seems to have any intel on SG-1;
and as ordered Camulus is being transferred
here from the facility where he was
being held. He should be here shortly.
JACK’S OFFICE. Colonel Reynolds hands Jack a file.
REYNOLDS
Even if we did comply and send Camulus
to the address Ba’al transmitted, we
can’t risk opening the iris here to
let SG-1 through. This could all be
a trick to get us to do just that.
O'NEILL
I know.
REYNOLDS
Any type of exchange would have to involve
a Stargate on another planet. (He nods
at the file.) I made some suggestions.
(Gilmor comes to the door and stands
there.) Are you really considering turning
Camulus over to Ba’al?
(Gilmor looks concerned.)
O'NEILL
It’s on the table.
(Gilmor knocks on the door. Jack gestures him in.)
GILMOR
He’s here. (He hands Jack another file.)
O'NEILL
Colonel, have your team ready. (He gets
up and leaves the room.)
REYNOLDS
Yes, sir.
GILMOR
Isn’t it already too late?
REYNOLDS
General O’Neill was once captured by
Ba’al. He was tortured, killed, and
brought back to life using a sarcophagus
more times than you would care to imagine.
SG-1 never gave up then, and General
O’Neill won’t now. There isn’t a man
or woman on this base that would. (He
walks away.)
CELL. Camulus, dressed in grey overalls, is seated at a table
with two guards standing behind him. Jack comes in.
O'NEILL
Ba’al has three of my people, and he’s
offered up an exchange.
CAMULUS
For me.
O'NEILL
Any idea why?
CAMULUS
There are many possible reasons.
O'NEILL
Pick one. (Camulus doesn’t reply.) Nothin’?
You offered to help us if we granted
you asylum.
CAMULUS
I did not expect to be treated like
a prisoner.
O'NEILL
You’re a Goa’uld!
CAMULUS
What are you going to do?
O'NEILL
Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t
turn you over.
CAMULUS
Ba’al cannot be trusted.
O'NEILL
Yeah.
CAMULUS
No matter what you do, he will never
return your friends to you.
(Jack nods.)
CORRIDOR. Camulus, with his hands handcuffed behind his back,
is being marched towards the Gateroom. Alarms are sounding, suggesting
that the Gate is dialling out. Jack follows along behind, and
Gilmor falls in beside him.
GILMOR
I thought you were just going to question
him.
O'NEILL
He didn’t have the right answers.
GILMOR
General, this goes against official
policy regarding prisoner exchanges.
O'NEILL
He’s not a prisoner. He requested asylum
- I’m ungranting it.
GILMOR
You could be court martialled.
O'NEILL
You know, if it gets my team back, I
don’t care.
GILMOR
But you know it won’t - you’re sacrificing
him for nothing.
(Jack turns into the Gateroom where Camulus’ guards are waiting
just inside.)
O'NEILL
Go, go, go.
(The guards move Camulus deeper into the Gateroom. The Gate is
indeed dialling out. Gilmor goes up into the Control Room to
stand next to Walter. The Gate whooshes.)
O'NEILL
Let’s take a walk, you and me. C’mon.
(He takes Camulus by the arm and walks
him up the ramp. When they reach the
event horizon, Jack lets him go and
turns to face him.) I’ve done everything
I can. It’s up to you. Last chance.
CAMULUS
In spite of what you think, I am not
a coward.
O'NEILL
I think you are. (Camulus turns away
from him and faces the event horizon,
ready to go through. Jack rolls his
eyes.) Well, it was worth a try. (He
turns Camulus around and walks him back
down the ramp.) (To the guards.) Take
him back to his cell.
(In the Control Room, Gilmor looks at Walter in confusion.)
WALTER
It was a bluff.
(On the ramp, Jack holds his arms out in an ‘Oh well’ gesture.)
CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE CONTROL ROOM. Jack swipes his card through
the reader to call the elevator. Gilmor comes to join him.
GILMOR
You could have told me, sir. How can
I do my job if you don’t trust me?
(Jack walks into the elevator.)
O'NEILL
Not my problem. (He pushes a button.)
GILMOR
Wait, wait, wait, Camulus would like
to talk to you. (The doors close.)
CELL. Jack walks into Camulus’ cell. Camulus is standing, agitated.
CAMULUS
I cannot stay here. If Ba’al is truly
so determined to have revenge, he will
not stop at this. It is not safe for
you to harbour me any more.
O'NEILL
So what?
CAMULUS
I am saying I am willing to leave.
O'NEILL
Out of the goodness of your heart?(!)
CAMULUS
Of course not. (He looks round at his
guards.) When I asked for asylum I did
not expect to rot in a cell for the
rest of my life.
O'NEILL
Well, work with me. Give me something.
I’ll see what I can do.
CAMULUS
I can tell you a planet where there
is a device created by the Ancients.
O'NEILL
What’s it do?
CAMULUS
I do not know. I never could discover
its secrets. Perhaps you can.
O'NEILL
You think this is what Ba’al’s really
after?
CAMULUS
While I never disclosed its location,
I once made the mistake of bragging
that I had found the device at a meeting
of the System Lords.
O'NEILL
Hard to believe, you bragging(!) (Camulus
looks at him. Jack smiles in a conciliatory
way.)
JACK’S OFFICE. Jack is continuing to type his letter to General
Hammond. Again, a voiceover relays what he is typing.
O'NEILL
I knew it wasn’t easy for you, but had
I known what it was really like, I would
have tried to be less ... of a pain
in the ... ass. At least, I would have
tried harder.
(Alarms go off.)
WALTER
Unscheduled offworld activation.
CONTROL ROOM. Jack runs down the stairs and goes over to the
control desk.
O'NEILL
Walter?
WALTER
Receiving SG-3’s IDC, sir.
O'NEILL
Open it. (He heads out of the room.)
WALTER
Yes, sir. (He puts his hand on the palm
scanner and the iris opens.)
GATEROOM. Jack comes in as SG-3 come through the Gate.
REYNOLDS
Just like you said, sir, some sort of
Ancient device, the size of a large
room.
O'NEILL
Any idea what it does?
REYNOLDS
I’ll leave that up to the tech guys.
But I can tell you this: (he smiles
smugly) I know why he couldn’t turn
it on.
BRIEFING ROOM. Reynolds opens a case he brought back. Inside
is a power device identical to the one that Jack brought back
from Proklarush Taonas to work the Ancient chair in Antarctica.
REYNOLDS
It wasn’t plugged in.
GILMOR
What is it?
O'NEILL
It’s a ZPM.
GILMOR
What’s that?
LEE
A Zero Point Module. Um, it’s an Ancient
power source that draws its energy from
subspace.
REYNOLDS
It’s the only thing powerful enough
to activate the Ancient defence weapons
SG-1 found down in Antarctica. The one
we have is pretty much dead ...
(Lee has been running a gadget over the ZPM. The gadget starts
beeping.)
LEE
We-he-hell, this one sure isn’t!
GILMOR
How good is it?
LEE
Well, I’m gonna have to do some more
detailed analysis but these preliminary
readings indicate at least fifty percent
capacity.
GILMOR
Well, that’s, that’s good, isn’t it?
(Jack shrugs. At that moment, all the lights go out, and the
emergency lighting comes on.)
LEE
Scuse me. (He leaves the room.)
O'NEILL
It’s that damn plant.
CONTROL ROOM. The computers go down. Walter picks up a phone.
WALTER
We’ve lost power to all control systems.
... Yes, sir. (He hangs up.)
CORRIDOR. Jack comes out of an elevator. The plant is all around
the walls outside the elevator.
O'NEILL
We paid the electric bill. I checked.
LEE
The plant is in the wall. It’s interfering
with power and communication lines.
O'NEILL
There’s no light in the walls.
LEE
I know, but as long as any part of it
is exposed to light, it seems like it
can feed the unexposed areas. Now, I’m
recommending we keep the whole base
on minimal emergency lighting, just
until we get the problem under control.
O'NEILL
How long?
LEE
Well, that’s a little difficult to say,
because first we have to figure out
how to get the problem under control.
(Jack nods mock-understandingly. Lee sneezes.)
CONTROL ROOM. Jack walks in.
O'NEILL
Where are we?
WALTER
The dialling computer’s offline.
SILER
There must be a circuit board that got
fried when we tried to restore power
to the system.
WALTER
Incoming wormholes will connect and
we can still receive radio communication
and IDCs but ...
O'NEILL
The iris?
WALTER
Manual control.
O'NEILL
What about dialling the Gate manually?
SILER
Uh, that’s a problem. The inner ring
seems to be locked in place. We tried
disconnecting the control interface
but ... (he shrugs)
WALTER
There was a Gate diagnostic running
when the power went down. Could be something
to do with the commands being exchanged
at the time.
O'NEILL
Bottom line.
WALTER
We can’t dial out.
O'NEILL
Okay.
TWO DAYS TO ZERO HOUR.
SGC. The base is still on emergency lighting only. Gilmor opens
the door to a room where Jack is sleeping. He walks over and
taps his back gently. Jack doesn’t stir. Gilmor shakes him. Jack
wakes.
O'NEILL
What? Oh, God.
GILMOR
Sorry to wake you, sir.
O'NEILL
Feels like it’s been ten minutes.
GILMOR
Yeah, it has. There’s an incoming wormhole
- Ba’al wants to talk.
GATEROOM. Jack and Gilmor walk in. Ba’al’s hologram is standing
on the ramp.
O'NEILL
Ba’al - sorry to keep you waiting. Just
taking a little nap.
BA’AL
The deadline has passed.
O'NEILL
Yeah, look, we’re having a little technical
difficulty here.
BA’AL
Are your friends’ lives meaningless
to you?
O'NEILL
Hey! This is not a stall tactic. I would
have called you sooner but we can’t
dial out at the moment.
BA’AL
Why not?
O'NEILL
Well, I’m not really sure. Here’s some
irony for you: Carter - have this thing
fixed like that. (He clicks his fingers,
then turns to the Control Room.) No
offence there, Siler.
SILER
Uh, none taken, sir.
O'NEILL
Good. (He turns back to Ba’al.) So,
why don’t you just send her on through.
Before you know it you’ll have old Camel-ass
back in your grubby little mitts.
BA’AL
You dare mock me.
O'NEILL
Ba’al, c’mon, you should know ... Of
course I dare mock you.
BA’AL
You have one more day. (His image disappears.)
GILMOR
Is it really wise to provoke him?
O'NEILL
It’s what I do.
JACK’S OFFICE. Jack is talking with Major Davis and Colonel Reynolds.
DAVIS
Over two years ago, the Tok’Ra provided
us with the formula for a Goa’uld poison
they’d developed. We’ve been modifying
it - manufacturing as much as we can
use as a defensive option in the event
of another attack on Earth. Area 51
is confirming that there is currently
enough to negate a sizeable enemy force.
REYNOLDS
We think we can effectively neutralise
and invade three Goa’uld-occupied planets.
DAVIS
Now, the poison is non-persistent, so
a limited time before potential reinforcements
become a factor.
REYNOLDS
And determining which of Ba’al’s planets
to target is still an educated guess.
DAVIS
We’re still gathering intel on exactly
where SG-1’s being held.
O'NEILL
This poison - does it kill Jaffa as
well as Goa’uld?
DAVIS
That’s right.
O'NEILL
How many casualties are we talking about?
(Davis opens his mouth but Reynolds answers.)
REYNOLDS
Thousands. Tens of thousands.
O'NEILL
So it’s not really a rescue plan - it’s
a full-scale attack.
REYNOLDS
That would most certainly provoke a
reaction - possibly another attack on
Earth.
DAVIS
But considering the fact that we now
have a ZPM to power the Ancient defences,
I don’t think ...
(Gilmor knocks on the door.)
GILMOR
Sorry to interrupt, sir, but Camulus
is insisting that he speak with you
again.
CAMULUS’ CELL.
CAMULUS
Did you not find something of value
on the planet of which I spoke?
O'NEILL
Oh, yeah, we did.
CAMULUS
Then why have you not released me? Or
do you still believe you can trade me
for your friends?
CORRIDOR. Doctor Lee and Gilmor are walking along through the
heavy foliage. Lee is wearing a radiation suit.
LEE
Gamma radiation seems to work. We’re
preparing a method of delivering a strong
enough level to the entire base all
at once. Now, non-essential personnel
are going to have to be evacuated; everyone
else is going to have to wear protective
suits. You have to get General O’Neill
to sign off on this right away.
GILMOR
Y-you know, he hasn’t slept in over
two days.
LEE
Yeah. That’s why I’m asking you to do
it!
GILMOR
Right.
CORRIDOR. Jack and John Prior (the President’s advance man) are
walking along another plant-infested corridor. Both are wearing
radiation suits.
PRIOR
I’m cancelling the President’s visit.
O'NEILL
Really? Why would you do that?!
PRIOR
I’m surprised you can joke at a time
like this.
O'NEILL
Ah, it’s pretty much all I can do at
the moment.
PRIOR
The flagship team is in the hands of
the enemy. You can’t dial the Stargate.
The base is overrun by an alien plant!
(They reach an elevator.)
O'NEILL
We did find a ZPM.
PRIOR
Sure.
O'NEILL
Give it another day.
PRIOR
You think you can get everything resolved
by then?
O'NEILL
Wait a minute - think there’s a joke
in there somewhere. (They get into the
elevator. As the doors close ...) Got
nothing.
JACK’S OFFICE. Jack is continuing to type his letter to General
Hammond. Again, a voiceover relays what he is typing.
O'NEILL
And so I regretfully submit my resignation.
And to be clear - the regret is not
so much about the resigning part but
the fact that I was deluded enough to
think I had possessed even one iota
of the ability needed to fill your sizeable
and shiny shoes.
(The lights come on. Gilmor knocks on the door.)
GILMOR
Doctor Lee just called down, sir. He
feels confident the plant has been fully
eradicated.
O'NEILL
I wish I did.
GILMOR
Oh, and the dialling computer is back
online.
CORRIDOR. Camulus is again being escorted to the Gateroom.
CONTROL ROOM. Jack, Walter and Gilmor watch as Camulus is brought
into the Gateroom. The Gate is dialling out.
WALTER
Chevron four encoded.
(Gilmor turns to Jack.)
GILMOR
You’re releasing him?
O'NEILL
We made a deal. We got a ZPM.
GILMOR
Look, I know we can finally dial Pegasus
again and still defend Earth if we have
to but ...
WALTER
Chevron five encoded.
(The phone rings. Gilmor answers it.)
GILMOR
Control Room. ... (He holds the phone
out to Jack.) It’s Doctor Lee - he says
it’s important.
(Jack takes the phone.)
O'NEILL
Yeah. ... (He turns to Walter.) Abort
the dialling procedure.
(The Gate shuts down. Camulus turns and looks up into the Control
Room.)
DOCTOR LEE’S LAB. The ZPM is on a table and is glowing.
LEE
Basically, it shouldn’t be glowing like
this.
O'NEILL
Why is it?
LEE
Well, it’s funny really ...
O'NEILL
I like funny.
LEE
No, this isn’t the good kind of funny.
I-I-I think it was the gamma radiation
we used to kill the plant that revealed
this.
O'NEILL
Revealed what?
LEE
It illuminated a substance foreign to
what we know to be the normal molecular
make-up of a ZPM.
O'NEILL
And?
LEE
Well, we managed to scrape some microscopic
fragments from the casing and run some
tests and, uh, well, (he picks up two
pairs of safety goggles with flip-over
dark lenses and hands them to Jack)
you’re gonna want these.
(Jack hands one pair to Gilmor and they both put them on. Lee
goes over to a computer bank at the edge of the room. Jack looks
around the room with his goggles, then flips the dark lenses
down to cover his eyes.)
LEE
This is what happens when you introduce
a constant electric charge.
(On the table is a metal tray containing the microscopic fragments.
Lee presses a button and there’s a large explosion on the tray.)
O'NEILL
The ZPM is booby-trapped?
LEE
We were gonna send it to Antarctica!
Look, can you imagine if someone had
taken it and plugged it into the chair
in the Ancient outpost? I-I can’t even
imagine the magnitude of the explosion.
A charged ZPM detonating that - I don’t
know, I mean, it could have destroyed
the whole planet.
GILMOR
That’s why Camulus was so eager to leave.
O'NEILL
Can you undo it?
LEE
Uh, well, you know we haven’t actually
...
O'NEILL
Yes or no?
(Lee shakes his head negatively.)
CAMULUS’ CELL.
CAMULUS
I have no idea what you’re talking about.
O'NEILL
When you couldn’t figure out what the
Ancient device was for, you tampered
with the power source so nobody else
could.
CAMULUS
I did nothing of the kind.
O'NEILL
Cami.
CAMULUS
Worth a try.
O'NEILL
Here’s the deal: how’d you like a chance
to kill Ba’al?
CAMULUS
An exchange. You want me to use the
Ancient device to trade for the lives
of your friends.
O'NEILL
Exactly.
CAMULUS
Amusing.
GATEROOM. The Gate whooshes. Camulus, now back in his Goa’uld
clothes, is waiting at the bottom of the ramp with SG-3. Jack
walks in with a small case, lays it flat in Colonel Reynolds’
hands and opens the case to show Camulus the ZPM inside.
O'NEILL
Alright?
CAMULUS
Coming with me?
REYNOLDS
We’re taking you to another planet first.
We’ll wait for SG-1 there. (He pushes
Camulus up the ramp. The rest of SG-3
follow and all of them go through the
Gate.)
LATER. GATEROOM. The Gate has dialled in. Jack walks in.
WALTER
Receiving SG-3’s IDC, sir.
O'NEILL
Open it.
(The iris opens and SG-3 come through - alone.)
O'NEILL
You’re late.
REYNOLDS
We thought we’d give it an extra hour,
sir. We knew it was a long shot.
O'NEILL
Thank you, Colonel. Dismissed.
(SG-3 leave the Gateroom. Jack stands alone, staring at the Gate
for a while, before turning and leaving.)
ONE DAY TO ZERO HOUR.
JACK’S OFFICE. Jack is again typing. Gilmor comes to the door
and knocks.
GILMOR
Sir. Uh, Colonel Reynolds would like
a moment.
O'NEILL
Fine.
GILMOR
He’s in the Gateroom, sir.
GATEROOM. Jack walks in to find all the SG teams waiting there
for him. Jack walks over to Reynolds.
O'NEILL
What’s goin’ on?
REYNOLDS
General, we just wanted you to know,
whatever you decide, we’re behind you
one hundred percent. You just need to
give the order and we’re ready to go.
O'NEILL
I know you are, Colonel. Thank you.
(He looks round at all the others and
sees their looks of determination and
resolution.) All of you. (He looks at
Reynolds again.) Dismissed. (He leaves
the Gateroom.)
LOCKER ROOM. Jack is dressing in casual clothes to go home. He
goes to his locker to get his jacket. As he closes the locker
door he sees the names printed on the two lockers next to his
- TEAL’C and D. JACKSON. He looks at the names for a while, then
leaves the room.
CORRIDOR. Jack walks along towards the elevator. As he swipes
his card through the reader, Siler walks past behind him.
SILER
Good night, sir.
O'NEILL
Good night, Siler.
(The elevator arrives and Jack gets in and presses a button.
As the doors begin to close, alarms begin to sound. Jack slams
his arm into the gap between the doors to prevent them from closing
fully, then forces the doors open again.)
TANNOY
Unscheduled offworld activation.
CORRIDOR. As Jack and various SFs run towards the Gateroom, Gilmor
runs to meet Jack.
GILMOR
It’s SG-1’s identification code. Sergeant
O’Brien transmitted a ‘hold’ signal
back through the Gate and is awaiting
your instruction.
for those who saw “From Stargate to
Atlantis”, this is the cameo role by
Pierre Bernard from “Late Night with
Conan O’Brien”.])
O'NEILL
O’Brien?
O’BRIEN
We have audio contact, sir - it’s Colonel
Carter.
O'NEILL
Carter?
CARTER
We’re under heavy fire, sir, open the
iris.
O'NEILL
Negative.
(Offworld, SG-1 are under attack from a large number of Jaffa.)
O'NEILL
Can you reroute?
CARTER
Negative - the DHD is no longer accessible.
(SG-1 continue to fire at the Jaffa as they talk with SGC.)
DANIEL
Jack, what’s goin’ on?!
O'NEILL
You’ve been in enemy hands. You know
the protocol. We’ve no way of knowing
if your iris code is secure.
DANIEL
What the hell are you talking about?!
O'NEILL
You were captured by Ba’al.
DANIEL
Ba’al?! We’re on P2X-887! We were trapped
in Anubis’ secret base and when we came
out a Jaffa force was waiting for us
at the Gate.
(Teal’c fires at some more Jaffa, then turns to Sam.)
TEAL'C
It appears these Jaffa are loyal to
Ba’al.
CARTER
Sir, the Gate’s gonna shut down and
we won’t be able to dial out again.
(Jack thinks for a moment, then turns to O’Brien.)
O'NEILL
Open it. (The iris opens. Jack speaks
into the microphone.) You’re clear.
(Staff blasts come through the Gate. A few moments later, Sam,
Teal’c and Daniel run through. The iris closes behind them.)
O'NEILL
Nice! (He runs down to the Gateroom
to meet his team.) Hey, guys.
CARTER
Thank you, sir.
O'NEILL
So - trapped in a secret base all this
time. Go figure.
TEAL'C
The wrist device allowed us access.
DANIEL
We couldn’t get back out.
CARTER
You thought Ba’al had captured us?
O'NEILL
That’s what he said.
CARTER
How did he even know we were missing?
O'NEILL
Reynolds saw an alkesh.
DANIEL
Ba’al must have had his Jaffa looking
for the base.
CARTER
Probably intercepted any radio chatter.
TEAL'C
That would explain the ambush.
CARTER
Ba’al’s Jaffa couldn’t find the base
but they figured if we turned up ...
O'NEILL
It’s a great story. More importantly,
did Anubis leave anything cool behind?
(Sam looks embarrassed.)
DANIEL
Not really, no.
O'NEILL
Nuts.
CORRIDOR. The walls are decorated with bunting (red, white and
blue!). Sam is walking along in her dress uniform. Jack, dressed
less formally, meets her.
O'NEILL
Colonel Carter! How are ya?
CARTER
I’m good. Thanks for asking.
O'NEILL
Yeah.
CARTER
You not gonna dress for the occasion,
sir?
(Jack looks down at his clothes.)
O'NEILL
Well, you know me, I love dressing up.
I was just on my way.
(He starts to leave but Sam interrupts.)
CARTER
Sir, I wanted to talk to you ...
O'NEILL
Carter, your evaluation is done. And
I think you’d be very pleased.
CARTER
Really?
O'NEILL
You had doubts?
CARTER
Honestly? I was wondering whether you
were completely confident in my leadership
skills.
O'NEILL
Aren’t you?
CARTER
I’ve been second-guessing myself for
ordering SG-3 to remain at the Gate.
O'NEILL
Oh, pshaw! (He and Sam start to walk
down the corridor.) It was standard
recon. Your tactics in dealing with
the ambush - perfect. You should read
what Teal’c and Daniel wrote about your
conduct under fire.
CARTER
Can I?
O'NEILL
No.
CARTER
Damn!
O'NEILL
Teal’c said you were an animal.
CARTER
Huh! Such an exaggerator.
O'NEILL
Yeah, isn’t he? (They reach the locker
room.) Well, this is where I go to take
off the clothes I prefer and don the
clothes I abhor. (He opens the door
and starts to go in but Sam steps forward.)
CARTER
Uh, sir, quickly, I wanted to talk to
you about something else. I was reading
Doctor Lee’s report about the tainted
ZPM. I think he may have underestimated
the explosive potential. It could have
actually destroyed the entire solar
system.
O'NEILL
What’s the difference?
CARTER
Well, my point is, if we figured it
out, so could Ba’al. He could use it
as a weapon against us.
O'NEILL
All true, Carter - which is exactly
why I didn’t give Camulus the tainted
one.
CARTER
Sir?
O'NEILL
I gave him the dead one. It’s worthless,
right?
CARTER
Ba’al’s gonna be pretty pissed at Camulus.
O'NEILL
Yeah.
(Sam grins.)
ZERO HOUR.
JACK’S OFFICE. Jack is seated at his desk. He now has his dress
uniform on, though his jacket is on the back of the other chair.
He has a letter printed out in front of him and is looking at
it while tapping his pen on the desk. Gilmor comes to the door
and knocks.
GILMOR
General, the President’s motorcade is
through the gates - he should be getting
on the elevator momentarily. (He sighs.)
Sir, I-I think you should know I’ll
be leaving tomorrow.
O'NEILL
Really?
GILMOR
Yes, sir. The truth is, I’ve been here
on a temporary special assignment from
the President.
O'NEILL
Oh?
GILMOR
Sort of a civilian audit, if you will.
O'NEILL
Of the SGC?
GILMOR
Of you.
(Jack stands up and walks slowly towards Gilmore. As Jack is
significantly taller than Gilmor, Gilmor looks very nervous.)
O'NEILL
I know.
GILMOR
You do?!
O'NEILL
General Hammond told me.
GILMOR
Well, he wasn’t supposed to.
O'NEILL
Well, don’t tell anyone!
GILMOR
Ah. Well, then, you know the President
wanted to make sure you were settling
in before he came and shook your hand
and fully endorsed you as the leader
of this base.
O'NEILL
Uh-huh.
GILMOR
Obviously, he’s here, so, uh - what
I mean is I just want you to know how
much respect I have for what you do
here - and for you.
O'NEILL
Thanks. Shall we? (He takes his jacket
off the chair and starts to put it on.)
Oh, by the way, did you, uh, let those
Amran delegates go?
GILMOR
I did, sir, yes. Uh, Major Davis said
they seem much more willing to negotiate
now.
O'NEILL
D’you think they liked the fruit basket?
(The two of them start to leave the room.)
GILMOR
I think so, sir.
O'NEILL
I put a lot of thought into that.
Never mind.
THE END
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