Transcript

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Teal'c is trapped in a virtual reality simulation, in which he must defend the base from a Goa'uld super-soldier incursion.

EPISODE #806
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 08.13.2004
SYNDICATION AIR DATE: 10.24.2005
DVD DISC: Season 8, Disc 2
WRITTEN BY: Damian Kindler
DIRECTED BY: Martin Wood
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Transcript by Callie Sullivan

Note: In this episode it was finally established that the technician we have always known as "Sergeant Walter Davis" has strangely changed his name to Walter Harriman. I'll therefore use his new surname in this and future transcripts.

S.G.C. - CORRIDOR. Troops are running along the corridor. Walter's voice comes over the tannoy.

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Teal'c stands aside as the troops run past, then follows them. Shooting can be heard up ahead. The troops reach the door to the Gate Room. It's closed. Teal'c goes to one of the SFs.)

TEAL'C: Give me your weapon.

(The SF hands his rifle over. Teal'c stands facing the door, then nods to the SF who swipes his card through the reader. The door opens and one of the SFs is immediately shot by whoever is inside the Gate Room. As Teal'c enters the Gate Room, another SF already inside is shot down. Teal'c fires at whoever is on the ramp as yet another SF goes down. The camera swings round and we see that one of Anubis' super-soldiers is on the ramp firing at anything that moves. The Gate Room is full of gunned-down troops. The other door to the Gate Room opens and some more SFs, together with Jack, rush through. As Jack comes into the room, a shot from the super-soldier hits him directly in the chest and he goes down. Teal'c is briefly distracted by the death of his friend, but then looks down and sees a Telchak rifle on the ground near one of the dead SFs. He dives to the ground, picks up the gun as he rolls, then surges up and fires it at the super-soldier. The shot hits it smack in the middle of the chest and it falls to the ramp. After several seconds, the light in its eyes goes out. Teal'c stands up and looks around the Gate Room. There's a large white flash and ...


S.G.C. - SCIENCE LAB. Teal'c is sitting in one of the chairs last seen in "The Gamekeeper." He has a metal helmet over his head and cables attached to his temples. He opens his eyes. Several scientists are standing watching the proceedings. One of them steps up and starts to remove the helmet. Doctor Lee is standing nearby holding a small monitor.

LEE (looking at the monitor): Simulation time -- forty-nine seconds?! ... (He tries to sound blasé.) It's not bad, not bad.

(Jack and Sam are standing nearby.)

O'NEILL: How was it? Was it fun?

TEAL'C: Indeed. (He undoes the restraints around him and stands up, smiling.) You died well in battle, O'Neill.

(Jack glances at Sam, who tries to hide a smile.)

O'NEILL: Obviously there's something defective with this thing.

TEAL'C: Agreed. (He turns to Lee.) An Anubis drone is a far more formidable warrior than this simulation would suggest.

LEE: What?! Look, we've been working on this chair for two years to make it a viable virtual reality training tool for S.G.C. personnel.

TEAL'C: You have failed.

(Lee stares at him, then looks at Jack and Sam.)

O'NEILL: He's nothing if not honest.

LEE (looking around at his fellow scientists): Well, I mean, maybe we could, er, it could use a little more work but ...

O'NEILL: Can you make it harder ... (he shakes his head and corrects himself) more difficult?

LEE: Well, I mean, we can input the parameters for different scenarios, but the vast majority of the simulation array comes from the mind of the user. The programming is actually built by interfacing memories from the individual's consciousness with the chair's matrix.

O'NEILL (turning to Sam): Carter, all I heard was 'matrix' and I found those films quite confusing.

CARTER: I think what Doctor Lee is trying to explain is that the simulation actually learns its realism from the person using it.

O'NEILL: What?

LEE: Yeah. No, we built it, we tested the software extensively using a variety of subjects -- obviously no-one with Teal'c's field experience.

O'NEILL: 'Subjects' -- to whom do you refer?

(Lee's colleagues all smile proudly.)

LEE: Well, um ... (He gestures to himself and his colleagues. Jack and Sam look anything but impressed.) Hey -- if Teal'c would agree to work with us a little more. Look, all you'd have to do is basically just play the game, let it learn from you. (Teal'c looks at Jack.) Oh, come on, it'd be fun -- you'd be so good!

(Teal'c rolls his eyes.)

TEAL'C: Very well.

(Lee turns and looks delightedly at Jack.)

O'NEILL (shrugging): There y'go. Just make sure there's a beginner's level for the rest of us.

LEE: Oh yeah, we can always make it easier ... (seeing Jack's expression) not-not that we'd have to for you, certainly. I mean, for others, but you-you'd be fine, uh ...

O'NEILL: Carter. Gentlemen. (He leaves the room.)


S.G.C. - SCIENCE LAB. Teal'c is again in the chair preparing to go into the game.

LEE: Thanks to Colonel Carter's new code translation programme, we can actually monitor your progress through a graphic representation of your point of view.

CARTER (to Teal'c): You've played Doom.

TEAL'C (smiling): I played Def Jam Vendetta.

LEE: Exactly, yes. Now, there is a two second delay between the chair's processor and your perceived experience, but, um, you shouldn't notice anything. Anyway, we can, uh, store every aspect of your activity in the game and then later choose what we're going to incorporate into our programming of the training scenario. Oh, you understand -- as before, once your mind is interfaced with the chair we cannot forcibly remove the connection or cut power to the chair without endangering you.

TEAL'C: Indeed.

CARTER: It's a function of the new chair design. Since the whole "Gamekeeper" incident, the aliens of P7J-989 built the shut-off command into the internal programming, so only someone in the chair can control it.

TEAL'C: You have previously given me this information, Colonel Carter.

LEE: This is a little different this time because the game will actually be learning from you and then incorporating those changes into its programming code.

CARTER: If you're killed in the game, it will re-set and you'll automatically start again. The chair will only disconnect and end the game under two conditions: once you complete the scenario; or if you engage the internal fail safe, which of course you're free to do at any time.

TEAL'C: That will be unnecessary.

CARTER: Don't be so cocky, Teal'c. The chair is intuitive -- it's eventually gonna learn everything you know. Now, if you wanna stop it before the conclusion of the simulation, just get to the base elevator, head for the surface. Ready?

TEAL'C: Proceed.

(Lee puts the helmet onto Teal'c's head and attaches the cables to his temples. Teal'c closes his eyes. Over a monitor nearby, which Sam is watching, Walter's voice can be heard as a computer simulation of an S.G.C. corridor comes up on the screen. The simulation is seeing through Teal'c's eyes. He looks down at his own computer simulated hands, then looks up at the troops running towards him.)


THE GAME - S.G.C. CORRIDOR.

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Teal'c stands aside as the troops run past, then follows them. Shooting can be heard up ahead. The troops reach the door to the Gate Room. It's closed. Teal'c goes to one of the SFs.)

TEAL'C: Give me your weapon.

(As the point of view goes to Teal'c's real perception of the game, the SF hands his rifle over. Teal'c stands facing the door, then nods to the SF who swipes his card through the reader. The door opens, but this time the super-soldier is standing just on the other side. It fires immediately and Teal'c is shot in the chest. He slumps to the floor, staring in disbelief as he dies. There's a large white flash as the game re-sets.)

(In the science lab in reality, Teal'c jerks and groans in the chair. Sam looks in concern.)

CARTER (to Lee): What just happened?

LEE (looking at monitors): It looks like the chair induced a pain response when he was killed.

CARTER: It's directly linked to his brain -- we knew it was capable of this.

LEE: Yeah, but it's just a simulation, it doesn't have to hurt.

CARTER: Yeah, see, that's the difference between you and Teal'c. He knows that in a real situation your tactics would be completely different if you thought you couldn't feel any pain.

LEE (looking at the readouts): Man, that was a heck of a shock.

CARTER: He'd want it to be realistic.

LEE: Well, fortunately we limited the chair from being able to deliver any sort of lethal jolt.


THE GAME - S.G.C. CORRIDOR. Troops are running along the corridor. Walter's voice comes over the tannoy.

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Teal'c stands aside as the troops run past but this time, instead of following them, he goes up into the Control Room. He takes a rifle from an airman, checks it, and then goes back down the stairs. Looking for a moment at the door where he was killed last time, he turns away and goes around to the other Gate Room door. It opens and he walks in to see many dead SFs lying on the ramp. At the foot of the ramp lies Jack. Teal'c kneels down to him.)

TEAL'C: O'Neill.

O'NEILL (weakly): Get outta here, Teal'c.

(The clumping sound of an approaching super-soldier can be heard. Teal'c stands up. Behind him, a super-soldier backhands an SF, then fires into Teal'c's back. Teal'c falls to the ground. There's a large white flash as the game re-sets.)


REALITY - SCIENCE LAB. Again Teal'c jolts and groans.

LEE: That's twice. Looks like the chair is learning quickly.

CARTER: Don't count Teal'c out yet. (She looks concerned, however.)


THE GAME. We're seeing the simulation version. In the S.G.C., alarms are sounding. This time Teal'c has made his way to the Armoury. He swipes his card through the reader, opens the door and takes down a Telchak rifle. A message flashes up on the screen: “Armour 100%”. He then takes down a P90. A message flashes up: “P90 loaded”. Now inside the game proper, Teal'c puts on a flak jacket and heads towards the Gate Room. He checks the nearby corridor -- several SFs are already down and the clumping steps of a super-soldier can be heard. As the super-soldier comes around the corner, it fires repeatedly at Teal'c, who ducks around the corner and runs off. The super-soldier follows, gunning down some more hapless SFs. Teal'c ducks around another corner, then pauses as he realizes he can no longer hear the super-soldier's footsteps. He leans back around the corner, then more clumping footsteps can be heard and he is shot him in the back by a super-soldier. Teal'c falls to the floor, and as he rolls over onto his back, the super-soldier shoots him several more times. As it approaches him, we realize that this is a second soldier, as the first one comes to join it.


REALITY. In the science lab, Daniel has now joined Sam and is watching the simulation as, from Teal'c's point of view, the super-soldiers fire several more blasts into him.

JACKSON: Ooh, that's cold!

(Lee looks round from his monitors.)

LEE: Colonel, I'm, uh, pretty concerned about some of these bio-readings.

CARTER: Me too. (She picks up a phone and dials.) Doctor Carmichael, this is Colonel Carter. Can you join us in Science Lab 5?


THE GAME.

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Sam is running down the corridor with some SFs. Teal'c is coming towards them.)

CARTER: Teal'c.

(Teal'c raises his hand to stop her. Sam stops, raising her own hand to stop the SFs.)

TEAL'C: Colonel Carter, I require your assistance.

CARTER: Likewise. SG-3 came in hot -- sounds like our Gate Room people could use a little back-up.

TEAL'C: They are all dead.

CARTER: Excuse me?

TEAL'C: The Gate Room has been breached. Our most effective defense will be to seal off the east and south ends of level 28. If we act now we may be able to force them into a cross-fire.

CARTER: Force who?

TEAL'C: The two Anubis warriors.

CARTER: How the hell can you know that?

TEAL'C: Because they have chosen the same route seven of the last ten times.

(Sam stares at him, confused.)


LATER. Teal'c, Sam and several SFs are in position in a corridor, awaiting the arrival of the super-soldiers.

MALE VOICE (over radio): Colonel, we have two hostiles headed your way.

CARTER (into radio): Roger that, we're in position. (To everyone with her.) Heads up, people.

(The clumping sounds of the approaching super-soldiers can be heard. They come around the corner and a firefight begins. Several SFs go down, then Sam is shot and falls.)

TEAL'C: Fall back!

(The super-soldiers continue firing as Teal'c and the SFs try to move. Teal'c fires his Telchak rifle and the blast hits a super-soldier smack in the chest but has no result. The super-soldier fires back and Teal'c is hit and falls to the floor. He looks across to Sam lying dead nearby. There's a large white flash as the game re-sets.)


REALITY. In the science lab, Doctor Carmichael is checking Teal'c with a stethoscope.

CARMICHAEL: Well, you were right to be concerned about these readings. Frequent sympathetic spikes in his natural adrenaline production are causing blood pressure and heart rate way too high to be sustained over the long term.

CARTER (to Daniel): That last ambush should have worked. Why did the energy weapon have no effect?

LEE: I dunno. Have you ever known a super-soldier to be resistant to the weapon like that in reality?

CARTER: No.

JACKSON: But it's possible, right? I mean, we've seen situations where the Goa'uld have adapted their technology to defend against something we've thrown at them.

LEE: Well, hopefully the game'll also extrapolate possible solutions and offer them to Teal'c. (Sam and Daniel look at each other doubtfully.) Well, I mean, it'd just be fair.


THE GAME.

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

CARTER (running down the corridor): Teal'c, SG-3 came in hot. Sounds like the Gate Room people could use some back-up. (Teal'c stands facing her as the SFs run past.) We've gotta move!

TEAL'C: Colonel Carter, listen to me. The S.G.C. has been penetrated by two Anubis drones. Our weapons are now ineffective against their armour.

CARTER: How could you ...?

TEAL'C: How is this possible?

CARTER: That's what I wanna know!

TEAL'C: I am speaking of the armour.

CARTER: It could have been altered to resist the effectiveness of the energy weapon.

TEAL'C: Can they now be defeated?

CARTER: I've been working on a frequency modulator chip.

TEAL'C: Where is it?

CARTER: In my lab, but I still don't ...

(Shooting can be heard nearby.)

TEAL'C: Show me. (They run off.)


S.G.C. - SAM'S LAB. Sam and Teal'c run in and Sam grabs the chip and hands it to Teal'c, who fits it to his Telchak rifle.

CARTER: It's only a prototype.

(A super-soldier arrives at the door and starts firing. Sam and Teal'c duck behind the benches. The super-soldier walks into the room. Teal's surges up from behind the bench and fires a multi-coloured beam from the Telchak rifle. The super-soldier collapses to the ground. As Sam and Teal'c stand up, a new alarm sounds and Walter's voice comes over the tannoy.)

HARRIMAN'S VOICE: Warning. Base auto-destruct sequence has been activated.

(Sam and Teal'c run off. Making their way through the corridors, with the sound of more gunfire approaching, they come across Daniel and some SFs near the Control Room. They are under fire from the second super-soldier.)

JACKSON: Nice of you to join us!

CARTER: Been busy.

JACKSON: They've found a way to counteract our little weapons here.

(The second super-soldier can be seen in the Control Room. Sam and Teal'c shoot their way forward, and Teal'c manages to get a clear shot with his new Telchak rifle. The super-soldier goes down.)

HARRIMAN'S VOICE: Warning. Base auto-destruct sequence has been activated. Thirty seconds to detonation.

(Sam runs into the Control Room and types furiously on the keyboard. On the computer screen comes the message “Auto Destruct Aborted”.)

HARRIMAN'S VOICE: Base auto-destruct has been aborted.

CARTER: We're clear.

TEAL'C: Then the threat has been eliminated. (He looks around, expecting the game to disconnect but nothing happens.) The threat has been eliminated.

(Sam walks closer and notices that he has a large burn on his shoulder.)

CARTER: Teal'c, you're injured.

(Teal'c is still looking around, bewildered.)

JACKSON: Teal'c?

TEAL'C: I'm fine.


REALITY. Lee is staring at the readouts, bewildered.

LEE: I don't get it. That should be the end.

JACKSON: You're saying he should have won.

CARTER: Well that was the conclusion of the originally-programmed scenario.

CARMICHAEL: But the chair is not disconnecting.

LEE: Yeah, and the game's not re-setting to the beginning either.

JACKSON: Well that's not fair -- you can't win a race if someone keeps moving the finish line.

LEE: He said he wanted it to be harder, more realistic.

JACKSON: In reality we haven't defeated the Goa'uld.

LEE: Are you saying the game won't end until he defeats all the Goa'uld?

JACKSON: I dunno, you tell me. You said the game was learning the rules from Teal'c.

CARTER: Yeah, but the parameters can't go beyond the base invasion scenario.

JACKSON (to Lee and Carmichael): Can you get him out?

CARMICHAEL: Not without risking serious neural damage.

CARTER: The game has a fail safe. All Teal'c has to do is quit.

JACKSON: Yeah -- Teal'c quit(!)


THE GAME - INFIRMARY. Teal'c is sitting on the side of a bed, having had his burn treated. Daniel and Sam are with him.

JACKSON: Anubis' drones must have waited for SG-3 to dial the Gate and then overwhelmed them at the last minute. What I can't figure out is how they knew how to set the base self-destruct.

CARTER: I can't believe General O'Neill is really dead.

TEAL'C: He is not dead.

CARTER: What?

TEAL'C (standing up): We must focus on the situation. The threat has not been neutralized.

JACKSON: What?

TEAL'C: We will search the base immediately. More warriors remain.

JACKSON: What?!

CARTER (to Daniel): He also knew the super-soldiers' armour was resistant to our energy weapons.

JACKSON: Sergeant Harriman reported that there were only two intruders before he got killed.

TEAL'C: They held the Control Room long enough to keep the iris open and let others through.

JACKSON: Maybe, but the Gate logs would have indicated there was another incoming wormhole.

TEAL'C (sternly): The threat has not been neutralized. There are others -- I am certain of it.

JACKSON: Because ...?

TEAL'C: The game has not yet ended.

(Sam and Daniel look at each other.)

JACKSON: Teal'c, I know this isn't your strongest suit but this is a really bad time for jokes.

TEAL'C: You are all part of a simulation designed to test the S.G.C.'s preparedness in case of Gate breach. None of you are real. (Sam and Daniel look at each other again, then look back at Teal'c, who rolls his eyes slightly.) I am fine.

(Alarms sound. Teal'c gives them a 'told you so' look.)

HARRIMAN'S VOICE: Warning. Base auto-destruct sequence has been activated.

(Teal'c grabs his rifle and the three of them run out of the room and head for the Control Room. Sam starts typing.)

JACKSON: Sam?

CARTER: I don't understand it -- somebody must have reactivated the auto-destruct from a remote location. (She types some more.) I'm locked out of the system -- I can't shut it down.

JACKSON (to Teal'c): How did you know?

(The base explodes.)


REALITY. Carmichael stands up from looking at the readouts.

CARMICHAEL: His heart rate and blood pressure are too high.

CARTER: How long can he do this?

CARMICHAEL: I don't know -- a day, maybe less.

JACKSON: I thought the chair wasn't supposed to be able to kill him?

CARTER: The physiological effects it can have at any one time are limited.

CARMICHAEL: Yes, but I'm afraid that while each individual pain stimulus isn't in any way life-threatening, the cumulative effect is now starting to take its toll. If he doesn't have a heart attack he'll eventually run out of adrenaline. His heart will slow down, his blood pressure will drop, his entire organ system is gonna fail.

JACKSON: Death by a thousand cuts.


THE GAME. Teal'c walks into Sam's lab. This is earlier in the sequence, as Sam isn't geared up for action.

TEAL'C: You must disable the auto-destruct command.

CARTER: What?!

TEAL'C: The S.G.C. will be breached by Anubis' warriors. They will attempt to destroy the base via the auto-destruct command.

CARTER: What are you talking about?

TEAL'C: If you disable the command they'll be forced to use other means to achieve the goal. Only then can we hope to defeat them.

CARTER: Teal'c, how could you possibly know ...

(Alarms sound.)

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. (Troops run past the lab.) All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Teal'c takes the modulator chip from Sam and fits it to his rifle.)

TEAL'C: There is little time. (They run off.)


REALITY. Teal'c is looking unwell as he convulses gently in the chair. Sam looks on in concern.

LEE (checking his own readouts): Colonel -- he's at level 28. He's already got the modulator chip and he's used it to kill the first two super-soldiers. He's hunting for the third ... (He looks at more readings, then turns to Sam and Daniel.) Man, he's not in good shape.

(Sam and Daniel watch the screen as, from Teal'c's point of view, we see him round a corner and get punched in the face by a waiting super-soldier. He falls to the floor. The super-soldier leans down, picks him up and strikes him again. Again he falls to the floor.)

(Externally, Teal'c convulses in the chair.)

(In the game, the super-soldier picks Teal'c up again and punches him in the face again.)

(Externally)

JACKSON: This is ridiculous -- it's torturing him.

LEE: Why won't he quit?

(Daniel looks at the monitor.)

JACKSON: Wait a minute -- he's heading for the elevator.

CARTER: He's gonna use the fail safe.

(In the game, the doors to the elevator on level 28 open. Teal'c struggles towards them, falling to the floor briefly but forcing himself up as a super-soldier clumps along behind him. He runs into the elevator and the doors close just as the super-soldier lunges towards them. Teal'c leans against the wall exhausted and watches the floor counter as the elevator rises.)

(At level 01, the elevator doors open. Teal'c wearily walks out of the elevator, then stares in disbelief.)

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Teal'c is back on level 28 near the Gate Room. He turns and watches as the troops run past him, then hangs his head in despair.).


REALITY. Sam and Daniel stare at the monitor.

CARTER: It didn't work -- he's back in the game.


LATER. Jack has now joined the others. He looks at Teal'c and then walks over to Lee.

O'NEILL: Y'know, I always thought a fail safe system was supposed to be somewhat safe ... from failure.

(Lee throws up his hands in an apologetic way.)

CARTER: From the beginning, in Teal'c's mind the goal was to make the simulation as real as possible. As much as he must now wanna quit, we think the game evaluated his character and decided that if this were a real situation, Teal'c would never give up under any circumstances.

O'NEILL: Well, it's right. It's also just a game.

CARTER: The game doesn't know that.

O'NEILL: So how do we get him out?

CARMICHAEL: Well, removing the connections while the system is operating is very dangerous, potentially fatal. On the other hand, the physical stress that the chair is putting him under will eventually kill him anyway.

CARTER: Right now the only way out is for Teal'c to win the game.

O'NEILL: Can he?

CARTER: It seems to be getting harder and harder. Every time it appears he's won, the game adds a new twist.

O'NEILL: So it's not gonna let him win.

CARTER: No -- the chair doesn't have an ego; it's not trying to beat Teal'c, just provide a challenge that's worthy of his abilities.

JACKSON: Ironically it's Teal'c's ego that created this problem in the first place -- not that his self-image isn't entirely accurate.

CARMICHAEL: If this continues, he's gonna require adrenaline to sustain his heart rate. And the thing is, I can't keep him going like this for long.

CARTER: There has to be a way for him to win.


THE GAME - SAM'S LAB. A super-soldier comes in, looking around for any signs of movement. It walks to the edge of the central desk and comes around the corner. Teal'c is crouched low behind the desk and fires his newly-adapted Telchak rifle at it. It falls to the floor. Teal'c stands up and heads out.


REALITY. Doctor Carmichael has now attached a drip to Teal'c's arm. He goes over to Doctor Lee's monitors and looks at the readouts.

CARMICHAEL: I think it's helping.

LEE: Yeah. Yeah.


THE GAME. Teal'c is running down the corridors. There is the sound of shooting up ahead. He runs away from the shooting and ducks around a corner. He takes out a smoke grenade, removes the pin and tosses it down the corridor. As the smoke fills the corridor he aims his weapon and walks slowly into the smoke. The clumping sound of a super-soldier can be heard up ahead. As soon as Teal'c sees it through the smoke, he fires and the drone goes down. Suddenly another drone appears literally out of nowhere, as if it was cloaked, and guns Teal'c down.

FLASH. RESET.


S.G.C. - CORRIDOR. Two super-soldiers are firing at Sam and some SFs in a corridor. Teal'c walks up behind her.

CARTER: They've adapted their armour.

TEAL'C: Cover me.

(Sam fires at the drones while Teal'c runs around behind her and shoots one of them down. The other fires at him but he ducks out of the way of the blasts and runs to the other side of the corridor. From there he does not have a clear line of fire so he turns to Sam.)

TEAL'C: Colonel Carter.

(He tosses her the Telchak rifle. She catches it, aims and fires and the second drone goes down. Teal'c walks out into the corridor and takes a scanner out of the shoulder bag he is wearing.)

CARTER: Teal'c, what's going on? What are you doing with a thermographic sensor?

(Teal'c walks along the corridor, swinging the sensor around.)

TEAL'C: There is a third drone.

CARTER: Are you sure? I thought only two came through.

TEAL'C: I'm certain. He is using a cloak of invisibility.

(As he turns a corner, the image of the drone can be seen on the sensor's screen, although nothing can be seen in the corridor. The drone is walking away from them but senses someone behind it, turns and fires several shots. Sam and Teal'c duck out of the way. Teal'c takes the Telchak rifle and, without even looking, pushes his arm around the corner and fires several shots. One of them hits the drone and it falls to the floor, becoming visible as it does so.)

CARTER: Nice one.

TEAL'C: Yet it is not yet over.

CARTER: There are more?

(Siler's voice comes over the radio.)

SILER: Colonel?

CARTER (into radio): Go ahead.

SILER: Ma'am, I've got a problem with the naquadah generator in Storage Room 28-F9.

(Sam and Teal'c move cautiously off.)


STORAGE ROOM. Sam and Teal'c arrive. Sam runs over to Siler, who is crouching by a naquadah generator on the floor which is active. Its tone is getting higher and higher.

SILER: I can't stop it.

CARTER: Someone's rigged it on a feedback loop. (She tinkers with it to no avail. She looks up at Teal'c.) There's not enough time to stop the overload.

Sam and Teal'c run to the Gate Room, Teal'c carrying the generator.

CARTER (calling up to the Control Room): Sergeant, dial the Gate now -- P4M-523.

HARRIMAN: Yes, ma'am. Starting dialing sequence.

(The Gate starts to dial. Sam looks in concern at the generator as the tone continues to cycle upwards.)

HARRIMAN: Chevron one encoded.

(Sam and Teal'c turn towards the Gate. After what seems like an eternity, the second chevron clunks.)

HARRIMAN: Chevron two encoded.

(The naquadah generator's tone continues to get higher.)

HARRIMAN: Chevron three encoded.

(Sam and Teal'c stare at the Gate, willing it to dial faster.)

HARRIMAN: Chevron four ... argh! (A zat blast hits him from behind. He collapses over the console. Sam and Teal'c turn and stare up into the Control Room as Daniel walks in, lowering his zat gun.)

CARTER: Daniel? What the hell are you doing?!

(Daniel looks down on them triumphantly. His eyes flash -- he's a Goa'uld. The naquadah generator reaches overload and explodes.)

FLASH. RESET.


THE GAME - S.G.C. CORRIDOR.

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Teal'c stands aside as the troops run past. As shooting commences, he sinks slowly to the floor and just sits there watching impassively as a super-soldier shoots everyone in the Gate Room. SFs run past him in the corridor and are shot down by a second super-soldier as it walks along the corridor behind them. Teal'c continues to sit there as the super-soldier approaches -- and walks straight past him, ignoring him because he is not a threat.)

HARRIMAN'S VOICE: Warning. Base auto-destruct sequence has been activated.

FLASH. RESET.


Teal'c sinks slowly to the floor and just sits there watching impassively as a super-soldier shoots everyone in the Gate Room. SFs run past him in the corridor and are shot down by a second super-soldier as it walks along the corridor behind them. Teal'c continues to sit there.

FLASH. RESET.

Teal'c sits on the floor with his head in his hands as the SFs run towards him and are shot down. He looks up at the approaching super-soldier and then looks away despairingly as it walks past him.

FLASH. RESET.

Teal'c sits on the floor.

FLASH. RESET.

Teal'c sits on the floor.

FLASH. RESET.

Teal'c sits on the floor.

FLASH. RESET.


REALITY - SAM'S LAB. Daniel comes in. Sam is working on a laptop. Nearby is a second Game chair, this one empty.

CARTER: How's he doin'?

JACKSON: Not well. His physical exhaustion's translating into the game. It's like he's having trouble even playing any more -- it still won't let him go.

CARTER: I spoke to one of the scientists on P7J-989. He says there's nothing they can do under the circumstances.

JACKSON: What are you doing?

CARTER: They had a neural imprint of Teal'c's mind on file from when we were trapped in the chairs six years ago.

JACKSON: Creepy!

CARTER: Yeah -- I'm trying not to think about it. Anyway, I'm running a simulation on this chair using the same parameters that Teal'c's dealing with now.

JACKSON: And?

CARTER: Well, the imprint's nowhere near the same as a live active mind. Plus a lot has changed in the last six years.

JACKSON: Yeah, but not the essence of Teal'c's character.

CARTER: See, that's what worries me. I hope it has. Now, I have run hundreds of simulations. No matter what Teal'c does, the programming adapts. Every time it looks like he's won, the chair makes it harder. It's almost like the game is reading Teal'c's mind and somehow seeing this one game as a microcosm for our war against the Goa'uld.

JACKSON: Well, that's how Teal'c probably treats every battle we fight with 'em.

CARTER: Well, according to these results, six years ago -- despite what Teal'c led us to believe -- deep down, he didn't really think the Goa'uld could ever be defeated.

JACKSON: Well, he doesn't think that now. (Sam shrugs.) He can't, not after everything we've accomplished.

CARTER: I hope you're right, otherwise no matter how long or hard Teal'c plays the game, he won't win.


SCIENCE LAB. Doctor Carmichael peels opens one of Teal'c's eyelids and shines a penlight in his eye. Jack throws him an enquiring look but Carmichael says nothing and goes over to look at Doctor Lee's readouts.

CARMICHAEL: This can't go on for much longer. We're gonna have to make a decision pretty soon about forcibly removing the connections.

O'NEILL: Y'know, it's too bad we can't hook up a joystick to this thing -- give him a little help, a little back-up, maybe.

(Sam, Lee and Carmichael turn round to stare at him.)

LEE: Actually, we could link up another chair and send someone else into the same simulation. Oh -- it wouldn't make any difference; the processors would network and the second person would just fall victim to the same altered elements in the simulation that have already trapped Teal'c.

CARTER: Unless the new player had an advantage. (She looks at Jack.) Sir, you may have done it again.

O'NEILL: Yes. ... How'd I do it this time?

CARTER: These graphics are being generated by a data recorder that's tracking the game. It's actually interfaced into the system between the chair's processor and Teal'c. The chair decides what's gonna happen -- Teal'c responds. Those responses are then incorporated, processed, and we see the results. It's a continuous loop of ever-changing data.

O'NEILL: Oh(!) Still waitin' on my good idea.

CARTER: The recorder causes a two second delay between the programming in the chair and the experience in Teal'c's mind. He won't know the difference but we could use it to our advantage.

LEE: If we hook up the second chair to the first without using the recorder in the loop ...

CARTER: ... the new player would know what was about to happen in the game two seconds before it occurred.

JACKSON: Like precognition.

CARTER: Exactly. It's not much but it might give us enough of an edge to help both players win.

LEE: That's assuming the chair's programming won't become aware of it and adapt.

CARMICHAEL: Which would mean that there's a good chance that the second player could be trapped along with Teal'c.

(Jack, Sam and Daniel speak simultaneously.)

O'NEILL: I'll go.

JACKSON: I'll go.

CARTER: I'll do it.

(Sam looks round at Daniel. Daniel looks round at Jack. All three of them look at Teal'c.)


THE GAME.

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Troops run along the corridor. Where Teal'c has always been standing in the past, Daniel is now standing as the troops run past. He watches them go and then sees Teal'c approaching.)

JACKSON: Teal'c!

(Teal'c looks at him for a moment, then raises his gun.)

JACKSON: What are you doing? No, don't, don't!

(Teal'c shoots him.)

FLASH. RESET.


REALITY. Now hooked up to the second chair beside Teal'c's, Daniel convulses.

O'NEILL: Why'd he shoot him?

CARTER: Because Daniel was a Goa'uld in the last several simulations.

O'NEILL: I told you I shoulda gone.

CARTER: The last thing we needed was the game learning from your tactical experience.

(In the game, Daniel gets shot again. In the science lab, Daniel convulses again.)


THE GAME. Daniel is standing in the corridor as alarms sound.

JACKSON: I gotta get used to this.

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(As Daniel looks at the approaching troops, he sees a ghost image of the troops ahead of the solid troops. As he watches them go past, he sees Teal'c approaching. Sensibly, he runs and hides until Teal'c has walked past.)


SAM'S LAB. Teal'c is searching for the modulator chip. He raises his gun as he sees Daniel standing in the doorway aiming a gun at him.

JACKSON: Easy. Don't shoot. Just hear me out. OK, it's me -- I'm real, I'm not a Goa'uld, and I'm gonna prove that to you, OK?

(Teal'c shoots him.)

FLASH. RESET.

Daniel is back in the corridor at the start of the game.

JACKSON: Crap!

HARRIMAN'S VOICE (over tannoy): Threat level: Foxtrot Alpha Six. All security teams to the Gate Room.

(Daniel stands aside as the troops run past, then heads off in the opposite direction.)


S.G.C. - CORRIDOR. Shortly afterwards, Teal'c comes through a security door, looking at all the dead SFs on the floor. From around a corner, Daniel zats him, then walks cautiously towards him.

JACKSON: I'm sorry, buddy, you're gonna have to listen to me. (He bends down and takes Teal'c's gun away from him, then stands over him, still aiming his zat gun at him.) OK -- now a minute ago we were in Sam's lab, I was trying to convince you I was real and you shot me, remember? What happened next? (Teal'c stares at him.) The game re-set. (Teal'c looks confused.) I know -- it's probably happened so many times it's just one big blur, but the reason it happened this time is because I'm playing too. I'm in the chair, just like you. If either one of us die, we both lose.

(After a moment, Teal'c painfully sits up and drags himself to the wall so that he can lean against it. His face has an expression of despair on it.)

TEAL'C: It can no longer be helped.

JACKSON: I know. The game thinks in a real situation you'd never quit.

TEAL'C (despairingly): No matter what I do ... it is not possible, Daniel Jackson, it is not possible.

JACKSON: Yes it is. That's why I'm here. (Teal'c looks at him.). C'mon, let's do this -- together.

(He holds out his hand to Teal'c, who seizes it and Daniel helps him to stand. Firing can be heard nearby.)

TEAL'C: We must leave this area immediately.

JACKSON: Yeah, I heard that. (They run off.)


LATER. The two of them are cautiously making their way along a corridor.

TEAL'C: You possess the ability to foresee the future.

JACKSON: Yeah, two seconds in the future. To be honest with you, it's kinda freaking me out. Two seconds is not a lot of time. Maybe, uh, just a chance to see something happen and all I can say is ... watch out. (He looks round at Teal'c.) No, seriously, watch out! (He shoves Teal'c away as two super-soldiers approach, firing. Daniel and Teal'c beat a retreat, returning fire.)


REALITY - SCIENCE LAB.

CARMICHAEL: We're gonna need a crash cart in here. (He runs to the phone.)

LEE: You can't introduce an electrical impulse to the chair like that!

CARTER: He's right.

CARMICHAEL: There's a very good chance Teal'c is going to go into cardiac arrest if he suffers one more re-set.


THE GAME. Teal'c and Daniel are still retreating from the super-soldiers. Daniel, on the other side of the corridor to Teal'c, looks across and sees a ghostly image of the third super-soldier come out of its invisibility cloak right behind Teal'c.

JACKSON: Teal'c!

(Before Teal'c can react, the real drone appears and shoots him twice in the back. As Teal'c falls to the floor, the drone shoots at Daniel.)

FLASH. RESET.


REALITY - SCIENCE LAB.

CARMICHAEL (looking at the readouts): His heart's stopped. (He runs across to Teal'c, grabs a syringe and plunges it straight through Teal'c's shirt and into his heart, pressing the plunger. Teal'c drags in a rasping breath.)

CARTER (checking the readouts): He's got a pulse.

CARMICHAEL (pulling the syringe out of Teal'c's chest, and looking at Jack): That's not gonna work again.

(Jack is staring aghast at what Carmichael just did.)

O'NEILL: I don't wanna see that again! I thought they were gonna be able to beat this thing.

CARTER: It may take Daniel a while to adjust to the precognitive abilities, plus two seconds isn't a lot of time. He'll need the right opportunity to take advantage of it.

(On the computer monitor of the game, alarms go off again. From Teal'c's point of view, a computer simulation of Daniel is running ahead of him. Daniel reaches the door to Sam's lab and nods to Teal'c, who swipes his card through the reader. Inside the game proper, the door opens and they go in.)

TEAL'C: Search for the modulator chip to compensate for the drones' modified armour.

JACKSON: Any idea where she keeps it?

TEAL'C: It changes location each time.

JACKSON: Of course it does! (They start searching. After a few seconds...) Found it! (He attaches it to his rifle, then looks up, seeing a ghost image of the other door opening and a super-soldier standing there and firing as soon as the door opens.) Down. (He drops to the floor. Teal'c follows. A second later the door opens for real and the super-soldier is there and starts firing. Behind the desk, Daniel adjusts the chip in his weapon, then rolls out from behind the table and fires a single shot at the drone, which drops to the floor. Teal'c stands up. Daniel looks at his rifle.) Yeah -- this could work.


LATER. Daniel and Teal'c are making their way through the corridors. Daniel gets another precognitive flash and stops Teal'c from going around a corner. They back up as a super-soldier approaches. The drone clumps forward, then turns abruptly to look around the corner. There's no-one there. Daniel and Teal'c have backed up around another corner. From there, Teal'c aims his weapon at the soldier, but doesn't fire. The drone clumps on. Teal'c leans back against the wall, exhausted.

JACKSON: Why didn't you shoot him?

TEAL'C: Such an action has always proven fatal. On previous versions of the game, when I've eliminated a drone from this location, it has inevitably attracted the attention of a third cloaked drone.

JACKSON: So we'll shoot him too.

TEAL'C: It was merely a diversion designed to allow a Goa'uld enough time to destroy the base. It will use either our self-destruct mechanism or a naquadah generator designed to overload.

JACKSON: And if you try and stop one it uses the other.

TEAL'C: Indeed.

JACKSON: I suppose the identity of that Goa'uld always changes too.

TEAL'C: Yes. I believe it to be the final component of the game we must overcome.

(There's shooting nearby. Daniel nods to Teal'c, who summons his last remaining energy and they head out. They make their way along the corridors but then Daniel slams his arm out, stopping Teal'c in his tracks. Daniel pauses for a moment, then pulls Teal'c back in the direction they just came from as two super-soldiers come around the corner. Daniel and Teal'c run into the Gate Room as the drones fire at them. They dive out of the way as Jack and a bunch of SFs run into the Gate Room firing at the drones. Lying on the floor, Teal'c fires his Telchak rifle at the drones and takes them both down. Jack reaches down and helps Daniel to his feet as Teal'c gets up as well.)

O'NEILL: You guys alright?

JACKSON: Oh, yeah. Thanks.

(Teal'c looks around, waiting for the self-destruct announcement to start. It doesn't come.)

TEAL'C: The naquadah generator. (He runs off. Daniel glances at Jack, then follows.)

O'NEILL (calling after them): You guys alright?


STORAGE ROOM. Teal'c and Daniel come in. Sam is crouched on the floor tinkering with the naquadah generator. A few feet away, Siler lies unconscious on the floor, a pistol nearby.

CARTER: Almost got it, just give me a second.

TEAL'C (aiming his rifle at her): Step away from the device.

CARTER: Teal'c, what are you doing? We've got less than a minute before this thing goes critical.

(Jack walks in. Teal'c aims his rifle at him.)

O'NEILL: T?

TEAL'C: Step away.

JACKSON: I'd do as he says.

(Jack and Sam both move away from the generator.)

O'NEILL: What the hell's goin' on here?

(On the floor, the generator is spinning up towards overload.)

CARTER: Teal'c, we're all gonna die if you don't let me stop that overload.

TEAL'C: She may be a Goa'uld.

CARTER: It was Siler (pointing to him lying on the floor).

O'NEILL: Siler?!

JACKSON: Siler?

CARTER: He was in here -- I found him setting the generator.

O'NEILL: Teal'c, put the weapon down. That's an order.

(Teal'c looks uncertain.)

JACKSON: What if it's not her? You said yourself, you could never tell who it was until the last second.

TEAL'C: You may be correct, Daniel Jackson. (He aims his weapon at Jack.)

O'NEILL (raising his own rifle): Hey!

(Sam grabs a rifle. Daniel raises his own and the four of them stand there, all pointing weapons at each other.)

O'NEILL: Now what?

JACKSON: I know for a fact it's not me or Teal'c.

(The four of them stand there, not moving. Teal'c looks down at the generator.)

TEAL'C: Daniel Jackson!

JACKSON: I don't know. I can't tell.

(After a moment's more thought, Teal'c reluctantly lowers his weapon. Jack lowers his own.)

O'NEILL: Carter.

(Sam squats down to the generator and works on it. It starts to power down. Daniel looks up and sees a ghost image of Siler getting up from the floor.)

JACKSON: TEAL'C!

(Jack looks round and sees Siler starting to get up.)

O'NEILL: Carter!

(Siler grabs the pistol and starts firing. Everyone dives for cover. Siler walks forward, and his eyes flash. Teal'c comes from around the corner and fires multiple shots at Siler, gunning him down. Everyone comes out from cover and looks at Siler lying dead on the floor.)

FLASH.


REALITY. In the science lab, Daniel opens his eyes.

JACKSON: Is it finished?

CARTER: Yeah. You did it.

(Daniel closes his eyes in relief. In the chair next to him, Teal'c opens his eyes.)

CARTER: Shutting off power to both chairs.

(Jack walks over to Teal'c.)

TEAL'C: O'Neill.

O'NEILL: Hey. (He pats him on the shoulder.)

TEAL'C: We have won.

O'NEILL: Well -- it's what we do.

(Teal'c smiles and nods.)