Transcript

Summary | Analysis | Notes | Characters | Production | Transcript

SG-1 travels back in time in a daring plan to steal a piece of Ancient technology from Ra, the powerful Goa'uld who ruled in ancient Egypt.

EPISODE #819
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 03.18.2005
DVD DISC: Season 8, Disc 5
DIRECTED BY: Peter DeLuise
STORY BY: Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie and Brad Wright & Robert C. Cooper
TELEPLAY BY: Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie
WATCH NOW:
  Amazon    iTunes
GateWorld earns a commission on purchases through affiliate links

Transcript by Callie Sullivan

S.G.C. - SAM'S LAB. On a computer screen is an image of a battle cruiser. Sam is talking to Daniel and Teal'c about it.

CARTER: The Daedalus. It has a few advantages over the Prometheus. The more advanced alien technologies were integrated into the original design rather than tacked on after the fact.

JACKSON: When's it gonna be ready?

CARTER: Well, they're already testing the Asgard hyperdrive. As soon as that checks out, it should be good to go.

JACKSON: Hopefully we all get to go this time.

CARTER: Last time they were worried about spreading our resources too thin.

JACKSON: Yeah -- now that Anubis is gone, the Replicators are gone ...

CARTER: There are still a few System Lords out there but without their Jaffa armies, they've lost most of their power.

TEAL'C (smiling): Indeed.

(The phone rings. Sam answers.)

CARTER: Carter. ... Yeah, hold on. (She holds the phone out to Daniel.) It's for you.

(Daniel takes the phone.)

JACKSON: Hello? ... Yep, hi. ... (He sounds shocked.) What? ... No, I was just talking to her last week. ... (His voice becomes sad.) Yeah, I-I-I'll be there. Thank you. (He takes the handset away from his ear and stares down at it.)

CARTER: What is it?

JACKSON: Catherine Langford died last night.


CATHERINE'S FUNERAL. Daniel is addressing the other mourners.

JACKSON: Catherine Langford was more than just kind and generous. She had a gift -- of an endless, open-minded, child-like curiosity. She saw the world not for what it was but for what it could be -- and she saw potential in people that others failed to recognize. Like her father before her, her contributions to science have changed the world more than most people know. I for one have no idea where I would be today if I'd never met her. She changed my life in more ways than I ever could have imagined.


LATER. The ceremony has finished. The last mourner lays a rose on Catherine's coffin and walks away. Daniel is still standing at the end of the coffin, looking down at it. A young woman walks back to join him.

SABRINA: Uh, Doctor Jackson? (Daniel turns to her.) Hi.

JACKSON: Hi.

SABRINA: I'm Sabrina Gosling. I'm Catherine's niece.

JACKSON: Oh, yes, of course. (He shakes her hand.)

SABRINA: I just wanted to thank you for coming -- and for speaking. I know she would have really appreciated it.

JACKSON: No, it was a ... it was an honour.

SABRINA: You know, my aunt used to talk about you all the time. (She laughs.) It's funny -- I always used to picture some Indiana Jones type with a bullwhip and a pistol chasing bad guys through some ancient temple!

JACKSON: Yeah, well, I generally leave the whip at home, so ...

SABRINA (laughing): Right, well, me too. Um, she, uh, wanted you to have this. (She takes something out of her pocket and holds it out to Daniel. It's Catherine's Ra locket.)

JACKSON: No, you're-you're family, you-you should keep that.

SABRINA: She thought of you like a son.

(Daniel holds out his hand and Sabrina gives him the locket.)

JACKSON: Thank you.

SABRINA: There are a few other odds and ends she wanted me to give you, but I wasn't able to bring them today. Is there an address where I could send them?

JACKSON: Yeah, of course.

SABRINA: Great.


S.G.C. - OUTSIDE DANIEL'S OFFICE. Jack is leaning against the doorjamb as a technician comes out of the room wheeling an empty delivery trolley. Daniel arrives as a second technician wheels out a second empty trolley, followed by a third man with a trolley.

JACKSON: Jack?

O'NEILL: Daniel.

JACKSON: What's goin' on?

O'NEILL: You been shoppin' online lately?

(Siler comes out of the room with a clipboard which he hands to Jack.)

JACKSON: What are you talkin' about?

O'NEILL: Well, you've got a little delivery here. (He hands the clipboard to Daniel. Daniel looks at it.)

JACKSON: It's from Catherine's estate.

O'NEILL: Yeah -- kinda looks like she sent the whole thing.

(Daniel walks into his office to find it full of a huge number of boxes all over the floor and the desks.)

JACKSON: Holy ...! Looks like her entire collection!

(Jack gazes around the room for a moment, then puts his hand on Daniel's shoulder.)

O'NEILL: I prefer stamps. (He turns and walks away.)


BRIEFING ROOM. Doctor Balinsky of SG-13 (last seen in "Heroes") is presenting his latest findings to Jack. He has a large number of rocks on the desk and lifts one up to show Jack. He is very excited about what he's found.

BALINSKY: Now, in addition, we discovered several grains of troilite, (he gives the rock to Jack, who has his head propped up with one hand and is clearly bored to tears) and a meselstasis phase which contained micrometer crystals. (He hands that to Jack as well.)

O'NEILL (mock-enthusiastically): Mmmmm!

BALINSKY: Now, it's undergoing further testing but we hope to have the results on your desk first thing tomorrow morning.

O'NEILL: Don't you keep me waiting!

BALINSKY: No, sir! (Jack rolls his eyes in desperation but Balinsky doesn't notice. He picks up another rock.) Now, here's where things get really interesting, because you will notice in this ...

(Daniel hurries in.)

JACKSON: Jack! We need to talk! (He sees Balinsky.) Oh, sorry for interrupting.

(Jack reaches out and grabs his arm.)

O'NEILL: No! It's OK. If it's important, you must interrupt. You must.

JACKSON: I think we may have found a Z.P.M.

O'NEILL (jumping to his feet): Yes! (He turns to Balinsky and pats him on the shoulder.) Great stuff with the rocks. (Behind him, Daniel is almost jumping up and down in his eagerness to get Jack out of the room. Jack turns to him.) Go! (They hurry out of the room.)


DANIEL'S OFFICE. Jack and SG-1 are there. Daniel picks up a book.

JACKSON: Among the items Catherine left me, this one in particular caught my attention. It's an original 1889 edition of "The Eye of the Sun". It's, uh, the only one in known existence. It details the customs and the rituals observed by the ancient worshipers of the sun god, Ra. Now, while I was flipping through the pages, I noticed this. (He opens the book to the correct page and shows it to the others. It contains a drawing of Ra holding what looks like a Z.P.M.)

TEAL'C: It appears to be a Zero Point Module.

JACKSON: The worshipers of Ra referred to it as the Heart of Light. This is a reproduction of a wall painting discovered by a German archaeologist in 1885. It was destroyed in a museum fire ten years later.

CARTER: But the Z.P.M. was never found.

JACKSON: No.


BRIEFING ROOM. Jack and SG-1 are sitting at the table. Sam hands a file to Jack.

CARTER: We did an extensive satellite sweep of the Giza plateau searching for an energy signature like the one given off by the Z.P.M. we found at Taonas. Even if it's buried under dirt and rock, we should have been able to detect it. We found nothing. I'm sorry, Daniel, but if it's there, it's probably been depleted.

JACKSON: No, I don't think so. According to the text, it was a religious artifact, an icon. It was never used as a power source.

TEAL'C: It is possible Ra simply took the device with him when he left Earth.

CARTER: In which case, it could be anywhere by now.

JACKSON: We don't know where it is now, but we do know where it was. Giza, three thousand BC.

CARTER: You can't be serious.

O'NEILL: What?

JACKSON: It's the only way.

O'NEILL: What?

CARTER: No, we agreed.

O'NEILL: If I have to say "What?" one more time, heads are gonna roll!

JACKSON: We have a time ship. We can go back and get the Z.P.M.

O'NEILL: She wouldn't let me go back and watch the Cubs win the World Series!

JACKSON: Jack, this is a unique opportunity. Ra never knew what he had, which means we can go back and take it without adversely affecting the timeline.

CARTER: Actually, sir, he may be right about that.

O'NEILL: You're on board with this?!

CARTER: I'm not happy about it, but we don't have any historical evidence to show that any Goa'uld has ever used a Z.P.M. -- in which case, it wouldn't be missed. We would have to be extremely careful to minimize our interaction with the people of the period.

O'NEILL: Yeah, there's that. But I thought you said you couldn't get it to work?

CARTER: No-one at Area 51 has been able to engage the time device. In fact, they've barely got the ship off the ground, but you were able to fly it without too much difficulty.

TEAL'C: Indeed. You have demonstrated an exceptional ability to control Ancient devices.

JACKSON: Jack, think about it: with a fully functional Z.P.M. we could power Earth's defenses and open up a wormhole to the Pegasus galaxy.

(Jack looks at Sam, who nods.)


EARTH ORBIT. The Ancient time ship is flying above the planet.

JACKSON: Now remember, Jack, three thousand BC. When Sam hooks up the power to the time device, think about that date and nothing else.

(We see that Jack is sitting in the pilot's seat with Daniel sitting alongside and Teal'c behind him. Sam is in the rear of the ship tinkering with the time device. All of them are wearing sand camouflage.)

O'NEILL: This thing's Ancient. How's it gonna know from BC?

CARTER: Well, your mind is controlling it. The Ancient computer should be able to extrapolate from your concept of time.

O'NEILL: Well, shouldn't we test it on a slightly smaller leap -- like, say, to 1908?

CARTER: Actually, sir, we were able to determine from the data log that the technology only works in time jumps longer than a couple of hundred years. (At that moment, the lights on the time device come on.) I think that's it.

JACKSON (looking at Jack): Three thousand BC.

O'NEILL: Any particular day of this century for ya?!

(Daniel gives him a look, then closes his eyes and mimics concentrating. Jack sighs, turns to the controls and closes his own eyes, concentrating. After a few seconds, a row of red lights begin to light up along the side of the time device and it can be heard powering up. Outside the ship, a distortion field of some sort passes over the ship. Inside, Jack opens his eyes as the time device powers down again.)

O'NEILL: What happened?

JACKSON: I didn't feel anything.

CARTER: The time machine pulsed. Try the radio. (She comes forward and looks out of the windshield.)

(Daniel clears his throat and activates the radio.)

JACKSON: Stargate Command, this is Daniel Jackson, do you read? Stargate Command, this is Daniel Jackson, come in please.

(Sam is looking puzzled as she looks out of the window. Teal'c stands up and stares out of the window at the stars.)

TEAL'C: The stars are different.

CARTER: Earth was in a different orbit around the sun five thousand years ago. I think we did it.

O'NEILL: Huh!


EARTH - EGYPT. The time ship has landed in a desert area. Inside, Jack and SG-1 are covering their camo with pale coloured robes and head dresses (think Abydonians). Daniel is tinkering with a video camera.

JACKSON: Can't believe I'm finally gonna get proof that the Great Pyramids pre-date the fourth dynasty.

CARTER: So what are you gonna do? Stand in the picture holding a newspaper with today's date?!

JACKSON: This is an archaeologist's dream. I wanna get as much footage as I can.

CARTER: Just be careful. We're here for the Z.P.M. In and out -- minimal interaction, minimal impact.

JACKSON: No problem.

CARTER: I mean it. All of you, sir. (She looks at Jack.)

O'NEILL: You've got it, you've got it!

CARTER: You're gonna need this. (She hands a wristband to Jack.) We've determined that it remotely activates the ship's cloak.

O'NEILL: Nice!

(A few minutes later we see Jack and SG-1 walking away from the ship. Jack turns and faces the ship again, and it cloaks.)


EGYPTIAN ENCAMPMENT. In a village of tents, Egyptians are going about their everyday routine. Two large pyramids can be seen in the distance. Jack, Sam and Teal'c watch as Daniel converses with a couple of Egyptians. He bows to them and returns to the team.

JACKSON: Well, my ancient Egyptian's a little rusty, but I think I got the gist of what they're saying. (He gestures back to the two men he was just talking to.) That's Katep and his brother Selatis.

(Jack waves to them.)

O'NEILL: Hey, guys!

(Daniel pulls Jack's hand down and shakes his head at him.)

JACKSON: They're on a pilgrimage to the temple of Ra to make an offering.

O'NEILL: Oh, there's timing!

JACKSON: Tomorrow. I told them we were travelers from the east and they offered to put us up for the night.

CARTER: I was kinda hoping we wouldn't have to stay that long. (The others look at her.) I'm sorry -- I keep thinking I'm gonna step on a bug and change the future.

JACKSON: Well, we can't just walk into the temple unannounced. A public audience is the perfect way to get inside.

CARTER: We just have to (she looks pointedly at Jack) keep a low profile.

(Jack looks at her indignantly.)

O'NEILL: Yes. (He turns to Daniel.) But more importantly, did they say what was for dinner?


THE NEXT DAY: RA'S TEMPLE. Katep and Selatis carry in a large lidded basket between them. Other Egyptians follow. Katep and Selatis lead the way into the throne room and walk up to the throne where Jaffa guards are waiting for them. At the rear of the Egyptian group, Jack and SG-1 enter the throne room, keeping their heads lowered.

JAFFA: Kree! Tel'lok!

(The Egyptians drop to their knees. Jack and SG-1 follow suit. From the rear of the throne room, Ra enters, wearing his ornate gold mask and accompanied by two female slaves. As he approaches the throne, Jack looks at him, his face unreadable as he remembers the last time he met him. Ra sits down on his throne.)

JAFFA: Shal'ka!

(Selatis hurriedly takes off the lid of the basket and cowers back down again. Ra leans forward to look inside. There are various items of jewellery inside.)

RA: Rush'nel. Rush'nel jal'na!

(Selatis picks up a piece of jewellery, stands up and lifts it towards Ra but the Jaffa uses his staff weapon to push him back down to his knees.)

JACKSON (quietly): I don't think he was too impressed with the offering.

RA: Ta'mel a'kel mal'tal. Za'ra nak shon.

JACKSON: He says he will not tolerate such disrespect from his followers.

(The Jaffa activates his staff weapon. Jack covertly reaches for a pistol in his trousers. Sam sees what he's doing.)

CARTER: Sir.

O'NEILL: Let me do it now -- I won't have to do it in five thousand years.

CARTER: You can't do that. There's no telling what effect it might have.

(Ra extends a finger. The Jaffa shoots Selatis. SG-1 flinch in dismay while Jack gazes in hatred at Ra. Katep cowers down, expecting to be next, but the Jaffa closes his staff weapon. Ra rises and leaves the throne room.)

JAFFA: Kree! Reela nak!

(Katep closes his eyes in grief. He and several other Egyptians run forward to lift Selatis' body and carry it from the throne room. All the Egyptians begin to leave. Jack and SG-1 move cautiously around a corner. Katep looks back as a couple of Jaffa put the lid back on the basket and carry it away. As the throne room empties, Jack looks around the corner to see which way the Jaffa go.)


A little later, the team are carefully following the two Jaffa with the basket.

JACKSON: There's gotta be some sort of treasure room. If the Z.P.M. is anywhere, it'll be in there.

(Jack looks round at the sound of another Jaffa clomping along the corridor. As he walks past them, Jack zats him. Jack and Teal'c run out and grab the Jaffa's legs and pull him out of sight.)


A little later, Teal'c is dressed in the Jaffa's armour apart from the helmet.

O'NEILL: You really think they're gonna let him just waltz in and take it?

JACKSON: Well, like I said, they don't even know what a Z.P.M. is. To them it's like any number of dozens of ritualistic objects they pull out for any number of occasions. Besides, he's wearing the shiny suit.

(Teal'c activates the helmet and it rises up out of nowhere and wraps itself around his head.)

O'NEILL: Good luck!

(Teal'c bows to him and walks away.)


Some time later, Jack, Sam and Daniel are waiting for Teal'c to return. Jack looks at his watch.

O'NEILL: C'mon, T!

JACKSON: We would have heard something if he was in trouble.

(They hear the approaching footsteps of a Jaffa and duck out of sight. The Jaffa clumps along the corridor and finally reaches them. As he turns to face them, Daniel activates his zat gun. The Jaffa stops and holds up the Z.P.M. Jack takes it.)

O'NEILL: Nice!


DESERT. The team are making their way back to the time ship. They round a sand dune and then duck down at the sound of voices. Looking cautiously over the top of the dune, they see that part of the time ship is now visible, covered in sand. Many Jaffa are surrounding it.

CARTER: Oh my God!

O'NEILL: Alright, we've got a little problem here.

JACKSON: Must have been a sandstorm during the night.

TEAL'C: The Jaffa will soon call for reinforcements if they have not already done so. We must move quickly.

(As Jack reaches for his sidearm, Sam grabs his arm.)

CARTER: Sir, we can't.

O'NEILL: We've taken on more Jaffa than that.

CARTER: You know what I mean. This is exactly the sort of high-impact event we're supposed to avoid.

TEAL'C: They have the ship. Will that not alter the future more than anything that we could do?

CARTER: Not necessarily. They don't know what it is, and even if they did, they can't use it. None of them have the gene -- even Ra won't be able to make it work.

JACKSON: So what are we supposed to do?

CARTER: Nothing.

O'NEILL: Nothing?!

CARTER: Well, close to it.

O'NEILL: No, here's a better idea: we take back our ship!

CARTER: Sir, if we kill those Jaffa or, worse, get captured, we could alter the future immeasurably. If you're thinking we can go forward and then back again ...

O'NEILL: Just a couple of days! Then we park that thing where nobody can find it.

CARTER: We alter this timeline, and the future is already different. We could set into motion a spiral of changes that we could never fix. We've already done too much. I'm sorry, sir -- I should never have allowed us to do this.

(The team carefully gets up, moves away and starts to walk across the desert.)

O'NEILL: So, what? We live out the rest of our lives here?

CARTER: Well, we know there's gonna be a rebellion eventually. The human slaves rise up and Ra abandons Earth. Daniel learned that on Abydos nine years ago. When it happens, there is a chance that we could get the Jumper back without creating too big a ripple in the events of this timeline.

O'NEILL: When does that happen?

JACKSON: I don't know the exact date -- it could be years.

O'NEILL: What?! Years?!

CARTER: Sir, we don't have a choice.

O'NEILL: Carter, what about the Z.P.M.? I mean, if we wait, we lose any chance of getting it back to our time.

CARTER: Preserving the timeline is more important.

O'NEILL: For all you know, things could get better!

CARTER: Or they could be worse! We can't take that chance.

JACKSON: Well, I know a way we can get the Z.P.M. back to our time even if we don't. About a month before we left, there was an archaeological dig that uncovered a first dynasty tomb near Giza. All we have to do is bury the Z.P.M. in that tomb, let them find it, and maybe our future selves won't have to take on this mission!

CARTER: Wow! That's bizarre, but it just might work.

O'NEILL: Carter, a lot of good people died when Anubis attacked Earth. I don't think their families would mind if we futzed with the timeline a little.

CARTER: Sir, I know this is hard for you; your instincts are to change things -- make things better -- but for once that's exactly what we can't do. We have to let things play out exactly the way they're meant to.


THE PRESENT: EARTH - A CLASSROOM. We see a blackboard with writing on it which describes the meanings of the words "noun", "adjective", "verb" and "adverb". Daniel's voice can be heard off-screen.

JACKSON: English is, uh, a complex language -- a hybrid of many different influences, much like the culture it represents. (The camera pans across and we see Daniel. But this is not the Daniel Jackson we know. His hair is longer and he is wearing a terrible thick-rimmed pair of glasses. He is wearing a short-sleeved shirt and tie and a sleeveless cardigan.) To understand it is to gain an insight into that culture and the process of integration that created it. (He pauses and looks out at his class. We see that they are adults of all ages, and are a large number of different nationalities. They are gazing at him blankly.) OK -- let's start with a simple greeting. Often the best way to begin interacting with someone is to find a topic of common interest. Everyone can relate to the weather, so let's start with that, shall we? Introduce yourself and talk about the weather! (After a moment, a young man raises his hand. Daniel points to him.) Yes.

(The man stands up.)

CARLOS (in a Spanish accent): Hello, my name is Carlos. You make me so hot.

(Daniel stares, trying to keep his smile.)

JACKSON: OK! (Carlos sits down again.) Umm, uh, not quite right, but the introduction part was good.

(The door to the classroom opens and a man, perhaps the principal of the school, puts his head round the door.)

PRINCIPAL: Daniel? Sorry to bother you, but there are some people here to see you.

JACKSON (to his class, as he makes the ‘time out' gesture): 'Scuse me for just one second. (He walks over to the principal and speaks quietly.) What kind of people?

PRINCIPAL: Air Force people. (He steps aside to show three Air Force personnel waiting outside. One of them is Major Paul Davis. He has a mustache.)


DEPARTMENT OF AEROSPACE RESEARCH HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON D.C. In an office, Sam's voice can be heard.

CARTER: This is totally unbelievable! (The camera pans across and we see Sam. She too is wearing very nerdy glasses. She is gesturing angrily.) You are a small and pathetic man! Those were my theories on spinwave technology and the effects of anti-gravity on electromagnetism and you know it! (We see the desk that she's shouting at. Nobody is sitting there.) Now, just because my reproductive organs are on the inside instead of the outside doesn't ... (She grimaces and turns away from the desk.) God, that's horrible! Who would ever say that?!

(The door in front of her opens and a man comes in.)

HIRSCHFIELD: Carter. (He looks around the room.) Who were you talking to?

CARTER: No-one.

HIRSCHFIELD: Were you talking to yourself?

CARTER: No.

HIRSCHFIELD: Have you proofread my review of the solid fuel rockets yet?

CARTER: I'm almost done. (She gives him a double thumbs-up.) Good job!

HIRSCHFIELD: Thank you. Keep up the good work, Carter -- you'll be moving up around here.

(The door opens again and Major Davis and his two colleagues come in.)

DAVIS: 'Scuse me. Major Davis, United States Air Force.

HIRSCHFIELD: Doctor Hirschfield. (He and Davis shake hands.)

DAVIS: I know who you are.

HIRSCHFIELD: What's this all about?

DAVIS: It's a matter of national security. I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss that here.

HIRSCHFIELD: Oh, of course. (He looks round at Sam for a moment.) By all means. We can talk privately in my office.

DAVIS: Oh no, I'm not here to talk to you. I'd like to speak to Doctor Carter.

(Sam stares in amazement. Hirschfield turns round to look at her.)

CARTER: Me?!


MARINA. Near a boat with "Homer" painted roughly on the bow, a man pulls a fishing pot out of the water and walks away. On the boat sits Jack O'Neill, looking bored. As he tosses an empty beer can across the boat, three Air Force personnel approach. One of them takes off his sunglasses and we see that this is Colonel Samuels.

SAMUELS: Colonel O'Neill.

O'NEILL: Samuels. You and the boys looking to charter a boat for the day?

SAMUELS: No, sir. I've been sent by the Pentagon to escort you back to Washington.

O'NEILL: I could give a rat's butt.

SAMUELS: It's a matter of national security, sir.

O'NEILL: Find someone else.

SAMUELS: We can't. It has to be you. Now, if you'll allow me, I'll try and explain it on the way.

O'NEILL: Sammy, it just doesn't sound like fun. (He jumps up onto the top deck of the boat, groaning with the effort.) Oh, God! (He starts the boat and steers it out of the marina. Samuels and his colleagues watch, unable to do anything. Jack takes his hands off the wheel and stretches dramatically as the boat moves away.)


(Transcriber's note: for most of the rest of the episode, the main characters are these new alt-versions of our heroes. I don't like constantly using "Alt-Daniel", "Alt-Carter" etc so will stick with their normal names until it's necessary to differentiate between them and our usual heroes.)


S.G.C. - BRIEFING ROOM. Daniel is alone in the room, gazing around nervously. The door beside Jack's office opens and Major Davis gestures to Sam Carter to go in. Daniel turns round to look.

DAVIS: If you'll just wait here, ma'am, General Hammond will be with you in a moment. (He closes the door, leaving Daniel and Sam alone in the room. Daniel checks Sam out, then, as she turns towards him, walks over to her.)

JACKSON: Hi.

CARTER: Hi.

JACKSON (offering his hand for her to shake): Doctor Daniel Jackson.

CARTER (shaking his hand): Doctor Samantha Carter.

JACKSON: Oh! Uh, Ph.D.

CARTER: Oh, me too. Astrophysics.

JACKSON: Oh, Egyptology.

CARTER: You wouldn't happen to know why we're here?

JACKSON: No. (He laughs.) Five thousand years ago, maybe, but, uh, now, no. I was kinda hoping you did.

CARTER: Sorry.

(They look around the room awkwardly for a few moments.)

JACKSON: I teach English as a second language.

CARTER: Department of Aerospace.

JACKSON: Oh!

CARTER: Oh, not as an astronaut. (She giggles nervously.) No, I, uh, I check other people's scientific reports for factual errors or omissions before they get sent up to the Director.

JACKSON: That's ... interesting.

CARTER: Yeah. (Then she shakes her head.) Not really.

(General Hammond enters the room.)

HAMMOND: Doctor Jackson, Doctor Carter -- I'm General George Hammond. (He gestures to the table.) Please.

(Sam looks at Daniel for a moment, then they both sit down at the table. Hammond sits, and then puts a folder down in front of each of them. A couple of pens are already lying on the table. At this point we realize that, because of the number of stars on his shoulders, Hammond is only a Brigadier General instead of the Major General that we know. Daniel and Sam open their folders.)

JACKSON: What's this?

HAMMOND: A non-disclosure agreement. What we're about to discuss has been classified top secret by the United States government.

(Daniel closes his folder and folds his hands over the top of it.)

JACKSON: What if we don't wanna sign it?

HAMMOND (gesturing to the door): Well then, you're free to leave.

(Sam immediately grabs her pen and signs her agreement. Hammond and Daniel look at each other for a moment, then Daniel rolls his eyes, opens his folder again and signs it. Hammond collects the folders back, then hands a file to each of them.)

HAMMOND: You have a background in archaeology, isn't that right, Doctor Jackson?

JACKSON: That's right.

HAMMOND: But your theories failed to gain much acceptance among your colleagues.

JACKSON: You could say that.

HAMMOND (explaining to Sam): Egyptian pyramids as landing pads for alien spacecraft.

JACKSON: I did not say that unequivocally. Um, I simply put forward the possibility that, based on the knowledge that ...

HAMMOND (interrupting): It's alright, Doctor, you don't have to defend your theories here. A month ago, a team of archaeologists from the University of Chicago uncovered an ancient Egyptian tomb near Giza. Inside, they found artifacts typical of the period, plus one or two objects that have yet to be identified -- and a video camera.

CARTER: A video camera?!

HAMMOND: It was perfectly preserved in a vacuum-sealed canopic jar. (He shows them a photograph of the MRI scan showing the camera inside the jar.) The technology is somewhat different to what is commercially available today, but we managed to charge the battery. However, we didn't bring you here because we found the camera. We brought you here because of what had been recorded on the tape inside that camera.

(He activates the screen behind him. At first all we can see is the lower half of a man's face as he sets up the camera. Then he steps away and we see that it's our Daniel.)

JACKSON (onscreen): I think that's right. (He walks away from the camera and then turns to face it.) OK, my name is Doctor Daniel Jackson. I'm part of a team called SG-1 and we have just traveled back in time five thousand years.

(Hammond looks at Alt-Daniel. Alt-Sam turns and stares at him as well. Alt-Daniel takes his glasses off and stares in disbelief at the image of himself on the screen.)

JACKSON (on the screen): See, the thing is, we're not sure we're gonna make it back. Um, the chamber where you discovered this tape should be discovered shortly before we're set to leave -- if the timeline hasn't changed at all. Let's see, what are some recent major events? Uh, communism recently failed in eastern Europe. Um, they should be well on their way towards democracy by now. Henry Hayes is President. What else?

ALT-CARTER: Henry Hayes?!

HAMMOND (pausing the tape): Secretary of the Interior. President Kinsey was less than amused when he saw that portion of the tape. (He activates the tape again.)

JACKSON (on the screen): Sam, help me out here. (Sam walks into view.) Um, Samantha Carter, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force and a member of SG-1. (Sam waves at the camera as her alt-self stares in amazement.)

CARTER (on the screen): Well, I suppose we should tell them about the Stargate.

ALT-CARTER: Oh my God!

ALT-DANIEL: What's SG-1?

HAMMOND: Watch.

JACKSON (on the screen): Right. Colonel Carter and I work for an organization known as Stargate Command. It is located under Cheyenne Mountain. Now, for the past eight years we've been regularly traveling through a large ring-shaped device known as the Stargate which should have been discovered in 1928 somewhere near where this tape was found.

CARTER (on the screen): Now, by means of these off-world missions, we've managed to acquire a lot of advanced technology which has helped us protect Earth against several alien attacks.

JACKSON (on the screen): If, for whatever reason, the things we're talking about are not true, then it is possible that we have somehow inadvertently changed the future. Now, the purpose of this tape is to provide you with the tools you will need to go back in time and set things right. If, for whatever reason, the Stargate has not been discovered, you will have to find it and get it up and running. (Alt-Daniel and Alt-Sam are staring at the screen, unable to believe anything they're seeing. Alt-Sam shakes her head in shock.) Uh, Jack, you should say something here.

O'NEILL (off-screen): No, no ...

JACKSON (on the screen): We should all be here on the tape.

CARTER (on the screen): We have no way of knowing how things could have changed.

(Daniel steps aside and Jack walks into view and faces the camera.)

O'NEILL: Uh, uh, General Jack O'Neill, United States Air Force. (Alt-Sam turns to Alt-Daniel, who shakes his head to indicate that he doesn't know who this man is either.) How you doin'? (On the screen, Jack turns to Daniel, unsure of what to say.)

JACKSON (on the screen): Tell them about the future.

O'NEILL (on the screen): Uh, college football is played on Saturdays; pro on Sundays, (Alt-Sam and Alt-Daniel stare at him) -- and there are no fish in my pond, at all, where I fish. (He turns to the other two.) Uh, I think that covers it for me.

(Hammond switches the tape off and turns to Sam and Daniel.)

JACKSON: Did he say "Stargate"?

CARTER: Time travel?!

JACKSON: What else did the tape say?

HAMMOND: Details of the Stargate, SG-1, including a fourth member who appears to be some kind of humanoid alien.

CARTER: Are you telling us that in some alternate timeline, we're part of a team that ... travels to other planets and defends Earth against alien invasions?

HAMMOND: I know. It seems difficult to believe.

JACKSON: Wait-wait -- what about the Stargate? Did you look for it?

HAMMOND: We searched the co-ordinates provided on the tape but we didn't find anything. The area had already been excavated previously in 1934 by a Doctor Langford but he found nothing but a tablet inscribed with hieroglyphics that no-one's ever been able to translate. We were wondering if you'd like to take a crack at it.

JACKSON: Are you kidding?!


COMMISSARY. Sam is sitting at a table drinking. Daniel comes in.

JACKSON: Hey.

CARTER: Hi.

(Daniel sits down opposite her.)

JACKSON: So -- what d'you think of all this?

CARTER: To be honest, I don't know what to think. I mean, it's pretty overwhelming.

JACKSON: Yeah.

CARTER: Time travel is theoretically possible. There's been a lot of research in the area of quantum gravity which suggests that time flows like rotating fluid within our galaxy, technically allowing the traveler to journey backward and forward at will but there's a huge amount of energy required.

(Daniel has been looking blankly at her and at last gets a chance to get a word in edgeways.)

JACKSON: Actually, I was talking about us -- the other us. I guess you could call it the us we're supposed to be. (Sam looks at him dubiously.) I mean, seriously, didn't you always think that you were destined for something more -- I mean, something a hell of a lot more fulfilling than a nine to five desk job?

CARTER: I suppose.

JACKSON: I don't know, I just always felt like my life was wrong.

CARTER: Well -- life is what you make it, you know, for better or worse.

JACKSON: Well, look at this as a way to change everything -- if we help them find this -- this Stargate.

CARTER: What do you think they're gonna do -- ask us to join an elite team of intergalactic space heroes?! (She laughs.) Look at us! The only reason that they showed us the tape is because we're on it.

JACKSON: Exactly!

CARTER: Oh.


GUEST QUARTERS. Daniel, with lots of books scattered over the desk in front of him, is watching the tape again on a screen on the desk. His alternate self is speaking.

JACKSON (on the screen): OK, that about covers the Gate dialing system, the point of origin, the address to Chulak, and the home address. What else? Oh, right! (He picks up the Z.P.M.) This is very important -- it's called a Z.P.M., a Zero ...

(Off-screen, Teal'c interrupts.)

TEAL'C: Daniel Jackson.

JACKSON: What?

TEAL'C: I believe the battery is about to expire.

JACKSON (speaking rapidly): OK, this is very important -- this is called a Zero Point Module. Now, its purpose is to, to ... (The tape ends.)

HAMMOND: How's that for timing?!

(Daniel turns around to see Hammond standing behind him.)

JACKSON: Uh, this Z.P.M. was recovered along with the tape?

HAMMOND: Yes. We have a team of scientists studying it as we speak. How's the translation coming?

JACKSON: Oh! (He makes some odd noises.) It's an obscure dialect -- I can see why your experts had trouble.

HAMMOND: But?

JACKSON: But it's almost as if the person who chiseled this tablet knew my research. You see, in 2995 BC, about five years after the team on this tape arrived in the past, there was an uprising. The ancient Egyptians rebelled against the sun god Ra -- or at least someone who they believed to be an impostor. Now apparently, whoever this impostor was, he left in a great flying ship, uh, and took the Stargate with him.

HAMMOND: That is unfortunate.

JACKSON: Yeah, but the tablet makes reference to a location where there might be a second Stargate here on Earth.

HAMMOND: Where?

JACKSON: Oh. I'm still workin' on that.

HAMMOND: Thank you, Doctor. I look forward to your report.

JACKSON: Uh, General, um, if it's alright with you, I'd like to join the expedition to find the second Gate.

(Hammond looks at him for a moment, then sighs uncomfortably.)


COMMISSARY. Sam is eating a bowl of blue jelly. Daniel comes and joins her.

JACKSON: You were right. They're gonna shut us out.

CARTER: Can't say I'm surprised.

JACKSON: I still haven't finished the entire translation yet, which means we still have some leverage.

CARTER: What else does it say?

JACKSON (leaning forward and speaking quietly so that others can't hear): It says the second Stargate is somewhere in Antarctica.

CARTER: Somewhere in Antarctica?!

JACKSON: Well, it doesn't even say that, it says "the land of the cold in the south" which I'm guessing means Antarctica.

CARTER: It's a big place -- lots of ice.

JACKSON: Yeah, I'm guessing whoever wrote the tablet didn't have a way of explaining latitude and longitude in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

CARTER: Well, at least you're still useful to them. I don't know why they're keepin' me around.

JACKSON: Whoa -- I'm not gonna let them shut you out either. I mean, we're supposed to be a team. We have to stick together.

CARTER: That's nice, really.

JACKSON: Yeah. We need someone who's willing to go to bat for us -- someone they can't say no to.


MARINA. On the quay by the "Homer" is a board advertising "Tours, fishing, charters, parties" and showing the rates. Jack is doing repairs in the bow and making angry noises. Sam and Daniel walk up and glance nervously at each other. Jack finally looks up and notices them.

O'NEILL: You folks lookin' for a little tour?

JACKSON: Jack O'Neill?

O'NEILL: Yeah.

JACKSON: Uh, I'm Daniel Jackson, this is Samantha Carter.

(Sam waves at Jack. He looks at her for a moment, then looks at Daniel.)

O'NEILL: You two a couple?

JACKSON: No! No, no, we just -- we just met.

O'NEILL: What do you want?

CARTER: Well, uh ... we were recently approached by the military about a, uh, a matter of, um, (she lowers her voice and whispers) national security.

O'NEILL: Don't care.

JACKSON: This is really important -- all we're asking is a little bit of your time.

O'NEILL: A hundred and fifty bucks an hour to rent the boat.

JACKSON: We don't wanna go anywhere.

O'NEILL: It's your money.


LATER. The boat is still in the marina. Daniel and Sam are now on board, sitting in the bow wearing life jackets. Jack is sitting opposite them, doing some repairs to a fishing rod.

JACKSON: So ultimately what we have to do is this: we have to find the Stargate and then get hold of this time travel device.

CARTER (correcting him): Locate this alien named Teal'c.

JACKSON: Right -- get Teal'c first, then go back in time to change the past and fix the future. (He looks expectantly at Jack, who carries on with his repairs as if they're not even there.) Are you listening?

O'NEILL: I was tryin' not to.

(Daniel and Sam look at each other. Daniel sighs.)

JACKSON: Yeah, I suppose it does sound a little crazy.

O'NEILL (sarcastically): Really? Which part? (He thinks about it for a moment.) I have to say: the moment I let you on board.

CARTER: You don't have to believe us. All we ask is that you watch the tape and decide for yourself.

O'NEILL: You know, I have decided and, hey, look, (he lifts his watch and speaks loudly) your time's up!

JACKSON: Aren't you -- aren't you the least bit intrigued that there might be something else out there somewhere? Something more than this?

(Jack looks at him, glances around his boat, then looks back at Daniel.)

O'NEILL: No.

JACKSON: We're supposed to be a team. We saved the world.

CARTER: Several times!

O'NEILL: Yeah. OK. Sure! I buy that! Uh-huh! The three of us -- the world -- we save it, right? (He laughs.) OK!

CARTER (quietly to Daniel): I can't believe I wasted my frequent flier miles on this.

(Daniel looks at Jack, who makes a circle of his thumb and finger at him, grinning sarcastically.)

JACKSON: Sorry to bother you.

O'NEILL: Not a problem.

(Daniel and Sam stand up. Daniel gets out of the boat but Sam starts to take her life jacket off first.)

O'NEILL: Ah! Ah! (He raises a finger to her, gesturing that she should get out of the boat first. She sighs and gets out of the boat, then takes her glasses off and pulls the life jacket off. Daniel takes his off, then they drop them back into the boat before starting to walk away.)

O'NEILL (calling after them): No worries, eh?


S.G.C. - CORRIDOR. Sam and Daniel are being escorted along the corridor by SFs.

CARTER: Do you have any idea what's going on?

(Daniel shakes his head. They round the corner to be greeted by Major Davis, who is standing in front of closed doors being guarded by a couple of SFs.)

DAVIS: Doctor Carter, Doctor Jackson.

CARTER: Major, what's this about?

JACKSON: Did you find the second Stargate?

DAVIS: No, we didn't, but we decided to show you something else. (He turns to the SFs.) Airmen?

(The airmen open the door. Inside is an Ancient ship / Puddle Jumper. Sam and Daniel walk into the room, gazing in amazement.)

JACKSON: Woah!

DAVIS: We think this was the ship SG-1 used to travel back in time.

CARTER: Where did you find it?

DAVIS: It was uncovered during an excavation of the area around the tomb where the tape was found. Please. (He gestures towards the rear of the ship. They walk around to the rear. The ramp is down and technicians are working inside. Sam and Daniel walk inside and stare.)

CARTER: This is incredible! Is it operational?

DAVIS: Not yet.

(The three of them walk to the front of the ship.)

CARTER: According to the tape, Jack O'Neill had the special gene that makes him able to fly this thing.

(Daniel notices the D.H.D. [Note: for non-"Atlantis" viewers, in between the pilot's and co-pilot's seat is a flat panel of triangular pieces which have constellations on them. They operate the nearest Stargate like the D.H.D.s do which we see in "SG-1".])

JACKSON: These are constellations.

CARTER: The tape said that this was able to go through the Stargate as well as time travel.

JACKSON: So this must be what dials the Gate.

(They both reach forward to touch the DHD but a familiar man's voice interrupts them.)

McKAY: Don't touch anything, please! (Sam and Daniel pull their hands back and turn around. Doctor Rodney McKay comes on board the ship. He is wearing a blue T-shirt with "Mr Fantastic" printed on it.) Leave the touching to the experts.

DAVIS: Doctor Rodney McKay -- he's the lead scientist on the project.

McKAY: Hi.

DAVIS: This is Doctor Carter, Doctor Jackson.

(Daniel and Sam both offer their hands. Rodney takes Sam's, then continues to hold it, smiling at her, even though Daniel still has his hand out.)

McKAY: Pleased to meet you.

DAVIS: We were hoping they may be of assistance to you.

(Daniel lowers his hand, embarrassed.)

McKAY: Hmm, yes. (Sam finally pulls her hand free.) Well, thank you.

DAVIS: I'll leave you to it, then.

(Sam covertly wipes her hand on her skirt as Davis walks away.)

CARTER: So, did you try dialing the Stargate address that the Daniel Jackson on the tape mentioned?

McKAY: No. Why would we do that?

CARTER: Well, just to see ...

McKAY: Of course we tried. It's called sarcasm. We tried the address numerous times -- nothing happened.

JACKSON: Did you try any other combinations?

McKAY: I'm sorry -- what are your areas of expertise?

CARTER: Astrophysics.

JACKSON: Archaeology.

McKAY (to Daniel): And I would listen to you because ...?

CARTER: We're on the tape.

McKAY (to Sam): Now you -- you I would listen to if you were reading the phone book.

CARTER (quietly): Oh, brother!

McKAY: You see, I love this whole sexy librarian thing. Look, why don't I take you to lunch, get you up to speed. (He takes her arm and starts to usher her towards the rear of the ship.) I hear it's lemon chicken today -- it's my favourite, hmm? (As she walks past him, he puts his hand on her backside.) Got a lot to talk about.

(They walk away, leaving Daniel alone in the ship.)


LATER. Daniel is walking along a corridor as Sam hurries up behind him.

CARTER: Daniel! (Daniel turns and walks towards her.) Is he behind me?

JACKSON: Who?

CARTER: McKay. (Daniel looks past her, then shakes his head.) Oh, thank God! I think I lost him. The guy is driving me nuts!

JACKSON: Any progress with the ship?

CARTER: Well, the technology is way beyond us, but I do have something -- it could be big.

JACKSON: What?

CARTER: Remember how McKay said that they tried dialing the Stargate address several times and nothing happened?

JACKSON: Yeah.

CARTER: I started thinking. Nothing happened here.


BRIEFING ROOM. Sam and Daniel are sitting at the table with a file in front of them as Major Davis walks in.

DAVIS: What have you got?

JACKSON: We're waiting to see General Hammond. (He and Sam look smug.)

DAVIS: He's busy. Why don't you tell me -- I'll decide if it's worth interrupting him.

(Sam and Daniel look at each other for a moment, then Daniel slides the file across to Sam, who slides it across the table to Davis. He looks at it and sees that it shows a map of Antarctica with a series of concentric circles on it.)

CARTER: I cross-referenced our previous attempts to dial the Gate with some recent seismic activity in Antarctica. They're a perfect match. The epicenter in all eight cases was exactly the same -- approximately fifty miles outside of McMurdo. (She points to the centre of the concentric circles.) That is where you'll find your second Gate. (She smiles smugly up at Davis. Daniel does the same.)

JACKSON: Worth it?

DAVIS: 'Scuse me. (He picks up the file and hurries out of the room. Sam and Daniel look at each other with satisfied smiles on their faces.)


A DAY OR TWO LATER (presumably). Sam and Daniel walk into what we know as the Gate Room. It's a hive of activity. They walk over to General Hammond.

CARTER: General, you wanted to see us ... (She trails off as she sees something. Hammond smiles and turns to watch with her and Daniel as the Stargate is lowered down from the surface.)

HAMMOND: It was exactly where you said it would be. Good work.

CARTER: Thank you, sir.

HAMMOND: I want you both to know that your help on this project was most appreciated. Your country owes you a debt of gratitude.

(Sam and Daniel look away from the Gate to stare at Hammond.)

JACKSON: But we're not done yet.

HAMMOND: Actually, we're not done. You two, however, have a plane waiting to take you home. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of the details of the non-disclosure agreement.

CARTER: Wait a minute. You are gonna send a team through the Gate, aren't you?

HAMMOND: We're assembling a team as we speak.

JACKSON: But you saw the tape -- we are that team. I mean, if anybody should be going, it's us!

HAMMOND: I'm sorry, Doctor Jackson, but neither you nor Doctor Carter possess the training or qualifications for a mission like this. That's just the way it is. (He turns and walks away. Sam and Daniel look at each other, then turn to watch the Stargate as it is lowered into its final position.)

TO BE CONTINUED