The United States has finally put to good use those two Goa'uld death gliders taken fromApophis' ship ("The Serpent's Lair"). After studying the shipsfor just over two years (as seen in "Touchstone"), Area 51personnel have created a hybrid vessel that looks like a Goa'uld death glider on theoutside, and a jet plane on the inside. Teal'c flies a demonstration of the new X-301Interceptor, impressing Pentagon representative Lt. General Vidrine.The test continues as Jack boards the plane. He and Teal'c will demonstrate the ship'sweapons capabilities, firing on target drones. GeneralHammond, Vidrine, Major Davis and the rest ofSG-1 monitor the test from the SGC.
But all does not go as planned. Teal'c loses control of the ship, and the vessel climbs outof the atmosphere and races into space. Apophis' voice booms out at them, telling them thathe had installed a device in the gliders in case Teal'c ever found himself in one again. The vessel is programmed to return to Apophis' home planet; it is Teal'c's punishment,doomed to die in the coldness of space. Their ship rushes away from Earth at a millionmiles per hour.
Communication with the SGC lags for several minutes as the ship gets farther away fromEarth. Sam and Daniel work frantically to try and find a way to save their teammates.Carter does not want them to try and deactivate Apophis' homing device, believing itprobably has a built-in safeguard.
A failed attempt to use the ship's rockets to alter their course and slingshot aroundJupiter leaves the ship damaged, and Teal'c and Jack with only a day's worth of air. Theyshut down all nonessential systems to conserve power.
Daniel contacts the Tok'ra and the Tollan. Neither have ships available that are closeenough; but there is a Tok'ra operative undercover on a nearby Goa'uld world. The Tok'rarefuse to disclose who the operative is or where he is -- but Sam deduces the location, asit is the only Goa'uld-controlled world within a day's travel of Earth.
She and Daniel go through the Stargate to P2C-527, and findJacob Carter. They convince him to abandon hismission and race to the glider's location.
Meanwhile, Jack and Teal'c have come to the disturbing conclusion that they will likely notsurvive the wait. They are asked to hold out for another 24 hours, but have less than 12hours of oxygen remaining. Teal'c expresses his thanks for O'Neill's friendship, and entersa deep state of Kelnorim -- Jaffa meditation -- to conserve on oxygen.
Jacob overburdens the hyperdrive engines of his Tok'ra scout ship, and they finally go out.Daniel, Sam and Jacob are stranded in a "very bad part of town" -- two Goa'uld mothershipsclose in on them. Jacob and Sam move to repair the drive, while Daniel is left with thetask of keeping the Goa'uld busy.
He is successful, and the three of them escape seconds before death gliders attack.
All is quiet in the cockpit of the X-301, as Teal'c meditates and Jack tries to sleep. Theship continues on its course away from Earth's solar system and into deep space. On Earth,General Hammond and Major Davis can do nothing for them -- only wait for Sam and Daniel tocome to the rescue. Through his fatigue and oxygen deprivation, O'Neill makes occasionalreports back to Earth.
Finally, the rescue team arrives in the Tok'ra scout ship. They find both Teal'c andO'Neill unconscious, and pray that they are still alive. Radio communications cannot wakeeither of them, so Jacob uses the ship to nudge the glider. The jolt wakes up ColonelO'Neill, who is delirious due to oxygen deprivation.
Carter convinces the two men to trust her, and take a very literal leap of faith. Theybreathe the last of their oxygen and blow the hatch, pushing off toward the Tok'ra shipabove them. The ship does not have the technology to simply transport them aboard, nor isthe cargo bay large enough to accomodate the X-301. But if Jack and Teal'c can get withinfive meters of the ship, the on board transport rings can grab them.
The plan works, and the two are saved. They give their thanks to Jacob for his help, andradio their success back to Earth.
