Transcript

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The crew finds a idyllic planet when Destiny stops without its countdown clock running, tempting some crew members to stay permanently.

EPISODE #113
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 04.16.2010
SYNDICATION AIR DATE: 02.14.2011
WRITTEN BY: Denis McGrath
DIRECTED BY: William Waring
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Transcript by Callie Sullivan

DESTINY. QUARTERS. Tamara (T.J.) Johansen is asleep in bed. The alarm on her watch begins to beep and she wakes up, sits upright and looks around blearily. Slowly she throws back her bedclothes and shuffles around to sit on the side of the bed. Looking very tired, she picks up her watch and switches off the alarm.

(In his quarters, Matthew Scott stands at a mirror and dips a non-electric safety razor into a bowl of water. He lifts the razor and starts to shave, but his very first stroke nicks his skin. He winces as the blood begins to flow, and he leans on the table in front of him, looking into the mirror wearily.)

(In the Mess, Camille Wray unenthusiastically draws her spoon through the bowl of white sludge that makes up her rations.)

(Nicholas Rush walks unsteadily into the Control Interface Room, stumbling and bracing himself against the wall. Lisa Park and Adam Brody look around at him in concern.)

PARK: Should you be out of bed?

(Rush lets go of the wall and stumbles forward towards his console.)

RUSH: There's, uh, too much work to be done. We'd best get on with it.

BRODY: ... "We"?


LATER. SHUTTLE. Brody is wearing one of the spacesuits and is inside the damaged shuttle last seen in "Air, Part 2." He is welding up a break in the wall. Finishing the job, he reports back to the Control Interface Room via the comms.

BRODY: Ready.

(Rush is hunched over his console in pain. Hearing Brody's voice, he raises his head.)

RUSH: All right. Go ahead and repressurise.

PARK: Repressurising.

(From outside the closed bulkhead of the shuttle, she watches through the window as air hisses into the ship. Some moments later Brody reports.)

BRODY: It's holding steady.

(He takes off his helmet and draws in a deep breath.)

BRODY: Hey, we've got atmosphere.

(Lisa smiles and presses the wall panel to open the bulkhead.)

RUSH (over comms): Very good. Continue with the repairs, beginning with navigation and propulsion.

BRODY: Roger that.

(As Lisa goes inside the shuttle, Everett Young walks into the Control Interface Room and sees Rush sitting there.)

YOUNG: What the hell are you doing?

RUSH (defensively): Repairing the damaged shuttle, if that's all right.

YOUNG: I mean you just had surgery.

RUSH: I'm fine, thank you.

YOUNG: You look like you're ready to drop dead.

RUSH (smiling bitterly): And that would be a bad thing?

YOUNG: Yes, Rush, that would be a bad thing. Listen to me: the civilians aboard this ship didn't try to take over because they thought I was doing a bang-up job. I get that.

RUSH: Well, good for you.

YOUNG: I also "get" that I have to make this work, so I've ordered my people to make a special effort. I would like to do the same - even with you.

(Rush snorts laughter.)

RUSH: Wow! That must have taken quite the effort.

YOUNG (grimly): You have no idea.

(Just then, Destiny slows down into normal space. Young raises his radio.)

YOUNG: Lieutenant Scott, we just dropped out of F.T.L. Please have a team ready on stand-by.

SCOTT (over radio): Yes, sir.

(Rush frowns round at the countdown clock on the wall. It hasn't activated. He looks back at his console.)

RUSH: But the Gate isn't dialling.

YOUNG: Why not?

RUSH (frowning down at the screen): Because there's nothing there.

YOUNG: What?

RUSH: It appears we have dropped out of F.T.L. into empty space - no planets, no stars, nothing.

BRODY (over comms): Uh, you might wanna re-check that data.

(Standing in the front of the shuttle, he and Lisa and gazing at a sun not too far in the distance, directly ahead of Destiny.)


LATER. OBSERVATION DECK. Many people are on the Observation Deck looking at the nearby sun. Eli Wallace, leaning on the balcony, looks across to Rush standing beside him.

WALLACE: The ships that are seeding the Gates ahead of Destiny - I thought they send a record of the star systems in our path.

RUSH: They do.

(Eli gestures at the bright light ahead of them as if to say, "What's that, then?!")

RUSH: That star is not supposed to be here.


MESS. Ronald Greer, sitting at a table with a bowl of rations in front of him, looks up as Scott walks over and sits down beside him with his own bowl. T.J. is sitting opposite them.

SCOTT: Sit tight, guys. The Gate's not dialling. They think it might be some kind of a glitch in the database.

GREER: And here I was, worried I'd have to cut short my delicious meal(!)

(T.J. snorts. Scott looks at her with concern.)

SCOTT: You OK? Look like you might be coming down with something.

JOHANSEN: I'm fine. Just, uh, tired.

(Nearby, Chloe Armstrong has collected her own bowl of rations. She approaches the table, looking awkwardly at Scott, then walks past.)

GREER: We call that "cold".

(Scott nods in agreement.)

GREER: Yeah.

SCOTT: Yeah. It's gonna take a little time.

GREER (presumably quoting Young's orders): "And a special effort on our part towards a spirit of co-operation."

SCOTT: Yeah, the colonel's right about that. I mean, we have to live with these people.

GREER: Doesn't mean I gotta like it.

SCOTT: Yeah, you do. Least, you have to look like you do.

JOHANSEN (cynically): Good luck with that.

(She gets up and walks away. Scott watches her leave the room, then turns to Greer.)

SCOTT: Am I wrong? Does she look like she's coming down with something?


CONTROL INTERFACE ROOM. Destiny has apparently had time to scan ahead of herself and information is appearing on the holoscreen. Young and Eli are looking at the screen while Rush is sitting hunched over his console.

RUSH: It's a G2 star, yellow dwarf, similar to our own Sun. Because Destiny didn't know it was here, the star's gravity well disrupted our propulsion systems, causing us to drop out of F.T.L. prematurely.

(He draws in a breath against the pain in his chest. Eli looks at him in concern. Rush continues his explanation.)

RUSH: A glitch in the technology.

YOUNG: So what happens now?

RUSH: We've entered a parabolic course.

(He types on his console and the holoscreen shows a depiction of the route the ship will take through the system.)

RUSH: Once we're round the star, we'll be far enough away from its gravitational influence, back into F.T.L. and on our way.

YOUNG: How long's that gonna take?

RUSH: A few weeks. There is, however, a silver lining.

(He types again and the display changes. Eli frowns at the screen in surprise.)

WALLACE: A planet?

RUSH: The only one in the solar system, so far as I can see. About the same size as Earth.

(He dips the tip of his little finger into some white powder he has with him, then sucks the powder off his finger. Presumably it's some kind of pain killer given to him by T.J. Eli looks at the holoscreen.)

WALLACE: Looks close.

RUSH: It is. Within shuttle range.

YOUNG: Atmosphere?

RUSH: In a word, perfect.


LATER. The shuttle takes off and heads away from Destiny. In the Control Interface Room, Rush's face is still wracked with pain as he continues working. Eli watches him sympathetically.

RUSH: I've been over the database a dozen times. No evidence of any glitch or anomaly.

WALLACE: Yeah, I couldn't find anything either. It's like this star just appeared out of nowhere.

(Dale Volker has joined them and is looking at his own console.)

VOLKER: Well, vigorous surface activity, strong stellar winds, bipolar outflow. It's brand new, all right. It's straight out of T Tauri phase.

WALLACE: Which would still make it, like, what, a hundred million years old?

VOLKER: Two hundred million.

WALLACE: And how far ahead of us are those Gate-seeding ships?

RUSH: It doesn't make any sense. The ships would have noticed it.

WALLACE: And dropped a shiny new Stargate on the planet.

VOLKER: That's the weird thing about this. I mean, if this star really is this young, then that planet should still be a ball of molten rock.


PLANET. The shuttle heads towards, its shell enveloped in fire. Slowly the burning dissipates.

SCOTT: All right, we're through the upper atmosphere. Everything looks good.

(Greer looks across at T.J. in concern. Her eyes are heavy and she looks as if she's struggling to stay awake. Unaware of this, Scott reports to Destiny over comms.)

SCOTT: Gonna set her down on a landmass directly below us.


LATER. The shuttle has landed in a clearing in woodland, not far from a stream. The team, comprising Scott, Greer and T.J. plus two other marines and Doctor Caine, heads for the stream and stops.

SCOTT: No sign of any wildlife.

CAINE (nervously): ... that we can see.

(T.J. scoops up some water from the stream into an analysis jar. Closing and activating it, she takes a laminate from Caine which will show what the results mean. She smiles.)

JOHANSEN: It's pure.

(Later she is picking some small red berries from a bush to take back for testing. Scott walks over to her.)

SCOTT: How're you feeling?

JOHANSEN: Great. A little sunshine, fresh air, water. Just what I needed.

GREER: Yo, check this out!

(He returns from exploring the area.)

GREER: There's a whole grove of trees back there loaded with these things.

(He holds up a familiar looking fruit. T.J. takes it.)

JOHANSEN: Hmm! (She cuts off the top of it with a knife and shows that it looks familiar inside as well.) Looks like a kiwi. Take it back and do a ...

GREER (snatching the fruit off her): I'll do one right now.

(He bites into it.)

JOHANSEN: Greer!

SCOTT: What the hell are you doing?!

(Ignoring them, Greer takes his time biting through the fruit, then stares at them in bliss.)

GREER: Oh! That's nice.

JOHANSEN: We don't even know if it's poisonous!

GREER (nonchalantly): We will!

(Continuing to chew the piece in his mouth and smiling briefly at Scott, he strolls away.)


Later, Scott is back in the shuttle and using the ship's comms to report to Destiny.

SCOTT: Well, we're getting a ton of plant samples. T.J. thinks there's all sorts of medicinal possibilities.

YOUNG: Well, that's great, that's great.

SCOTT: Uh, we also found some fruit. Greer went ahead and ate one. So far he hasn't had any reactions to it.

RUSH: How about water?

SCOTT: Tons of it. Pure, too. Bring back as much of it as we can.

WALLACE: No alien creatures slithering around?

SCOTT: No, nothing. It's weird; but it's daytime, so who knows what comes out at night?

YOUNG: All right, load up the shuttle and head on back, and do a flyover of the area on your way.

SCOTT: Copy that. Scott out.


Later, Scott walks to the side of a lake and finds T.J. standing at the water's edge and gazing at the distant mountains. It's getting towards sunset and the sky is beautiful.

SCOTT: There y'are.

JOHANSEN: This place - reminds me of home. (She smiles fondly.) We used to go camping - Olympic Peninsula. My dad and I, we'd go hiking for days at a time, find these amazing vistas and canyons, waterfalls.

SCOTT (apologetically): Time to go, T.J.

(Sighing unhappily, she turns to him and they share a rueful smile before heading back. Not long afterwards, the shuttle is airborne and flying around the planet. As Scott flies the vessel towards a mountain range, Greer looks reflective.)

GREER: Damn near perfect.

SCOTT: Doesn't make any sense, the ship not knowing about this place. Of all the planets to put a Stargate on, I would think that ...

(He trails off as he sees something ahead of them. Greer leans forward in his own seat at the sight, then stands up and walks closer to the windshield. Sensing the concern, T.J. also stands and comes forward and all of them gaze in disbelief at an enormous stone obelisk rising from what looks like the caldera of an extinct volcano. Narrow, four-sided and tapering to a point, this is no natural phenomenon.)

GREER (awestruck): Looks like we weren't the first ones here.


LATER. DESTINY. The shuttle has returned to Destiny and the team is showing footage they have taken of the obelisk.

SCOTT: It's massive. Two thousand feet high at least. We detected a faint E.M. field around it but nothing else.

WALLACE: Those markings - like some kinda alien language.

WRAY: Do you think it's the same ones we keep running into?

RUSH: Not with this level of technology.

YOUNG: What, to build this thing?

RUSH: No - to create a planet.

(The others look round at him in shock.)

WRAY: They actually built this planet?!

(Eli laughs.)

WALLACE: The Genesis Device!

(The others look at him blankly. He stares back in disbelief that not one of them knows what he's talking about, but eventually makes an exasperated sound and explains himself.)

WALLACE: The end of "Wrath of Khan"!

RUSH: The reason why Destiny had no knowledge of this star system is that it was placed there after the Gate-seeding ships had passed through.

YOUNG: Wait - you're telling me they built the star too?

(Rush shrugs as if to say, "It looks like it.")

WALLACE: That would make them the number one all-time advanced civilisation.

RUSH: That would be an understatement.

SCOTT: OK, so what do we do about this?

RUSH: We send a team back down there.

WRAY: What?!

RUSH: Look, our orbit has been refined. It's gonna be four weeks, two days, seven hours before we jump back to F.T.L. I'm proposing we take advantage of the wait.

YOUNG: But I thought you said we were almost out of shuttle range?

RUSH: We are. But ... (he shows what he's talking about on the holoscreen) ... we're gonna swing back into range once we circle the star before we jump to F.T.L. We send a team down now, pick them back up in a month's time loaded with supplies.

(He takes his hands off the console and hugs himself against his pain.)

SCOTT: If we time it right on the return, we could take two, maybe three trips.

(Eli raises his hand.)

WALLACE: What about the aliens?

SCOTT: We didn't see them.

WRAY: Well, it doesn't mean that they're not around.

RUSH: Look, we have three hours left before we're out of shuttle range. If we're gonna do this, we have to do it quickly.

WALLACE: OK, OK. Just to say this out loud: assuming that this star and this planet were created by the most incredibly advanced aliens ever, maybe they don't want anyone messing around with it.

YOUNG: We need the food and medicine.

RUSH: I agree. The gains outweigh the risks.

WALLACE: Do they? We're oh for three on close encounters of the third kind. What makes you think that these guys are gonna be any different?

YOUNG: I'm not sending anyone down there without protection.

SCOTT: We'll have the shuttle in case we've gotta bug out.

YOUNG: Eli, everything we do out here is a risk.


INFIRMARY. Camille walks in.

WRAY: T.J.

JOHANSEN (turning and smiling at her): Hi.

WRAY: Uh, I heard you found some plants with possible analgesic properties?

JOHANSEN: Yes, high concentration of salicin. (She realises that Camille probably doesn't know the term and explains.) Similar to aspirin. You got a headache?

WRAY: Only since I've been on this ship!

(She smiles at T.J., who opens a cabinet, takes out some sachets and hands them to her.)

JOHANSEN: Take these, steep ‘em in hot water and drink it.

WRAY: So you're joining the team going down to the planet?

JOHANSEN: Yeah, I can't pass it up. How about you?

WRAY: Oh, I don't know. I mean, part of me wants to, but what if Rush's calculations are off? Can we trust him?

JOHANSEN: You tell me.

(She looks at her pointedly. Camille looks a little hurt.)


SHUTTLE ENTRANCE. A large number of people is boarding the shuttle as Young finishes his briefing to Scott.

YOUNG: I want round-the-clock watch on camps, guard details on every science team going into the woods.

SCOTT: Yes, sir.

YOUNG: Hopefully we'll be able to fix the damaged shuttle before you return and double up on supplies we can bring back. Good luck.

(They shake hands.)

SCOTT: Thanks, sir.

(He tries to keep a neutral expression as Chloe walks towards the entrance.)

SCOTT: You comin' too?

ARMSTRONG: Is there a problem with that?

YOUNG (pointedly): No. Happy camping.

(Scott forces a smile as he follows Chloe on board. Young turns to T.J. as she approaches.)

YOUNG: You all set?

JOHANSEN: Yes, sir. Cole will be looking after Franklin in the Infirmary while I'm away. I told her to contact me if there's any change in his condition.

(She stops and looks at him for a long moment.)

YOUNG: Is there anything else?

JOHANSEN: No, sir.

(Smiling briefly at him, she turns, her smile quickly fading as she walks inside the shuttle. The bulkhead doors close behind her. Some minutes later, along with several other crew members, Young watches from the Observation Deck as the shuttle lifts off the deck.)

SCOTT (over radio): We're clear.

YOUNG (into radio): We'll see you in a month.

(He walks away as the shuttle heads off into space. Eli stays a little longer, perhaps worrying about Chloe, and Camille watches through the window with a look of regret on her face.)


PLANET. Some time later the shuttle comes in to land in the clearing again. Not long afterwards, Scott, Greer and T.J. stand in front of the others facing the rear entrance of the ship. Scott nods to someone at the front of the ship who activates the controls to open the entrance. He leads the others out. Those who weren't on the first trip walk out into the long grass and mill around the area, looking around in delight.

SCOTT: All right, folks, you've got the whole month to enjoy the scenery. We need to set up camp and establish a perimeter. Uh, the sun moves that way.

(He gestures to his right, then realises that hardly anyone is looking at him.)

SCOTT: Guys? Over here.

(He waves to them as they turn to look at him, then gestures to his right again.)

SCOTT: The sun moves that way, so that's west, OK? (He gestures to his left.) The river's back that way about half a click ... uh, kilometre. We'll sleep in the shuttle for now, but I want shelters built A.S.A.P. How many of you guys have gone camping before?

(A few crew members raise their hands.)

SCOTT: OK, that's fine. Just watch, ask and learn. You guys know your team assignments? Let's get going.

(As the people break up into teams and start to wander off, Chloe clears her throat awkwardly and approaches Scott nervously.)

ARMSTRONG: Um, I don't have a team yet.

SCOTT: Oh, yeah, right, sorry. OK, d'you like helping T.J. with plants?

ARMSTRONG: ... Sure.

SCOTT: OK.

(Unhappily, Chloe turns away. Scott looks around the clearing and notices Airman Dunning angrily shoving one of the civilians. Greer is closer to them and storms over.)

GREER: Hey, hey-hey-hey-hey-hey-hey. Hey! What's going on over here?

(The civilian, Morrison, tosses down the spade he has apparently just been given by Dunning.)

MORRISON: I'm not digging a latrine.

(Greer turns and stares at Dunning accusingly.)

GREER: Is that what you told him to do?

DUNNING: Somebody's gotta do it.

(Greer nods.)

GREER: True enough.

(He turns and glares at Morrison.)

GREER: Start digging.

MORRISON: What? No, you can't make me.

(Greer turns back to Dunning.)

GREER: You too.

DUNNING: But, Sergeant, I've gotta ...

GREER: You're gonna dig, OK? (He turns so that he can look at both men.) You're both gonna dig, and you're gonna love every moment of it or you will keep digging until you do.

(He smiles over at Scott and gestures between the two men.)

GREER: Spirit of co-operation.

(Biting back a smile, Scott nods approvingly and turns away. Greer looks back to the other two.)

GREER: We're all friends now!

(He chuckles sarcastically and walks away. Nearby, T.J., Caine, Volker and Chloe have been talking and Volker and Caine now head off on their own task.)

CAINE: OK, let's get our gear.

(Shortly afterwards, T.J. and Chloe are following an airman, about to start their plant expedition.)

JOHANSEN: So we'll photograph and log every plant we find. Don't ingest anything until we do a proper edibility test.

(She stops and lowers her head as if she feels light-headed.)

ARMSTRONG: You all right?

JOHANSEN: Yeah, just ...

(Carefully she lowers her shoulder bag to the ground and sits down on a fallen log.)

JOHANSEN: It's passing. I'm fine.

(Chloe sits down beside her.)

ARMSTRONG: The amount of food and water we get on that ship, it's a wonder we're not all fainting from malnutrition.

JOHANSEN: Yeah.

(Scott walks over to them.)

SCOTT: I just got the word. Destiny is now officially out of range. No turning back! We are stuck here.

(T.J. looks around at the scenery. She seems quite content to be stuck there.)


DESTINY. As the ship heads closer to the sun, Eli walks down the corridors looking around in a rather guilty way. Reaching the doorway to the Mess, he sees that Camille is the only person in there, sitting at a table and writing. Quietly he turns and tries to creep away but she notices him.

WRAY: Hey.

WALLACE: Hey!

(Nervously shoving his hands into his pockets, he walks into the room.)

WALLACE: How's it going?

WRAY: Well, I hope they bring back tons of food. The last of that fruit that they brought back is already gone.

WALLACE: Or so you think.

(She looks up at him. He looks around to make sure there's nobody outside, then takes his hands out of his pockets and sits down, showing her one of the kiwi fruit.)

WALLACE (quietly): Snuck this earlier.

(She smiles down at it, biting her lip.)

WALLACE (quietly): I'll split it with you if you promise not to rat me out.

WRAY (instantly): Deal.

(She hands him a knife from the table and he cuts the fruit in half.)

WRAY: So, tell me ...

(Eli offers her her half of the fruit.)

WRAY: Thanks. D'you think it's possible to create a star?

(Eli scoffs.)

WALLACE: No way. Now, being transported to a ship on the other side of the universe by a wormhole, that's totally doable(!)

(Camille smiles as he sniggers. Then he becomes serious.)

WALLACE: Look, that star just appeared out of nowhere, and the planet's age doesn't match ... If some all-powerful alien beings didn't create it, who did?


PLANET. Doctor Caine is sitting alone at the side of a stream. His feet are bare, his hands are folded in his lap, his eyes are closed and he seems to be meditating. Not noticing him, Scott noisily scrunches along the opposite bank and squats down to fill his canteen. It's only as he raises his head that he sees Caine.

SCOTT: Oh, Jeez! Hey, I'm sorry. I'll go somewhere else.

CAINE: Uh, no. No-no, that's OK.

(He smiles reassuringly. Scott sits down on a rock.)

CAINE: Hey, I wanted to thank you. I know all the military personnel are trying to mend fences, but you're one of the few who actually seems to mean it.

SCOTT: Ah, well, we've gotta work it out, right?

CAINE: It's interesting that we've now been given the time down here to do that.

SCOTT: Yeah, well, we're pretty lucky to find this place.

CAINE: My mom used to say there's no such thing as luck - only the hand of God giving you a little help when you need it most.

(Scott, with his religious background, clearly finds that an interesting thought.)

CAINE: Somewhere along the line, I mean, I stopped believing all that, but now I look at this place, put right in our path for us to find. Tell me that isn't a miracle.

(Scott ponders the thought.)


DESTINY. Young walks into the second shuttle where Brody and Park are working.

YOUNG: Hey, how's it going?

BRODY: Terrible.

PARK (almost simultaneously): Great!

YOUNG: Which is it?

BRODY: Propulsion's almost completely shot. It might be able to get to the point where we can fly down to the planet but there's no way it's gonna have enough power to get back up, so there's that. We're making some progress on navigation: we can turn left, but not right, or up or down.

YOUNG: OK.

(He looks at Lisa.)

YOUNG: Why did you say "great"?

PARK: W-we can turn left.

RUSH (over radio): Colonel Young.

(Young looks at Lisa as if trying to work out whether she's an idiot or not, then gets his radio out.)

YOUNG: Go ahead.

RUSH: While Destiny's engines are offline, I'd like to use the extra power to strengthen the shield, maybe explore some damaged areas in the ship, possibly make some repairs.

YOUNG (over radio): Reclaim some real estate.

RUSH: Exactly.

YOUNG: You go ahead. I'll have Lieutenant James put a team together.

(He deactivates his radio.)

YOUNG: You two, you keep at it. You have a month to get this thing to fly to and from that planet and do more than make a left turn.


PLANET. T.J. is in a field of tall flowers with Caine. Morrison and Chloe are also nearby and everyone is collecting samples of the plants as Caine explains his theories to T.J.

JOHANSEN: Fate brought us here?

CAINE: I dunno. Maybe. Maybe that's what brought us to Icarus and then Destiny.

(Morrison laughs sarcastically.)

JOHANSEN: You don't believe that?

MORRISON: Well, you miss your flight and the plane crashes; you weren't spared for a reason. God doesn't have a master plan for you. Things just happen.

ARMSTRONG: So we're born, we live, we die, it's all random?

MORRISON: Yeah, and along the way you do the best with whatever crap you happen to step in.


DESTINY. Eli and Camille are lounging on a sofa in the Observation Deck gazing out at the sun.

WRAY: I'm starting to get a bad feeling.

WALLACE: Me too. I'm afraid we made a mistake sending those people down to that planet.

WRAY: No. The mistake was not going with them.


Time passes, and on the planet Scott is demonstrating how to build a basic support structure for a tent. The members of the expedition watch him with interest.

(On Destiny, Vanessa James and her team climb down a ladder into an as yet unexplored part of the ship. Shining her flashlight around the dark corridor, she marks a cross with white chalk on the wall, leaving a trail for them to follow back.)

(Sitting on his bed and holding a bloodstained dressing, Nicholas Rush grimaces in agony as he slowly lowers himself down into a lying position.)

(Repairs on the damaged shuttle continue.)

(On the planet at night, Chloe gazes thoughtfully into a fire which has been lit to heat water and cook a meal.)

(The next day, Scott is strolling around on his own. Reaching the side of the lake, he sees Chloe bathing out in the water. The water reaches her shoulders but it's fairly clear she's naked. He smiles ruefully at her as she looks at him.)

(On Destiny, James' team finds a large storeroom full of crates.)

(On the planet, the inevitable is happening. For verily, when ten or more men are gathered together, they shall eventually end up playing five-a-side soccer. Actually, there are more than ten people and some of them are women, and it's not clear whether someone actually brought a football from Icarus Base or they've made one out of their gear. But they're having fun and, even more amazingly, Chloe scores a goal.)

(On Destiny, a group of people is playing cards. Eli is one of the group and neither he nor any of the others look like they're having a lot of fun. It simply looks like they've got nothing better to do.)

(On the planet, Dale Volker is looking at his notes and gazing up the length of the nearby obelisk.)

(Elsewhere, Scott and Chloe seem to have come to something of a truce and are walking together in a field. They're not close together but at least they're talking.)

(T.J. is out exploring on her own. She has let her hair down from its usual confinement and it cascades down her back. She finds a high waterfall tumbling down a cliff ahead of her and gazes up at it in delight.)


PLANET. Out in a field, Chloe is gathering berries. She hears coughing nearby and hurries over to T.J. as she realises that she is down on her knees and vomiting.

ARMSTRONG: Hey. Are you OK?

(She helps her to sit on a nearby log.)

ARMSTRONG: I thought you were feeling better.

JOHANSEN (wiping her mouth): Yeah. I am.

ARMSTRONG: Here, let me help you back to camp. You should lie down.

JOHANSEN: No, Chloe.

(She bites her lip, then decides to continue.)

JOHANSEN: I'm not sick.

(She looks at Chloe and waits for her to understand. After a moment, Chloe's jaw drops. T.J. sighs.)

ARMSTRONG: How far along?

JOHANSEN: About fifteen weeks. Right before we left Icarus. But nobody knows, and I'd like to keep it that way.

ARMSTRONG: Eventually they're gonna ...

JOHANSEN: I know, I know, but not now. I'll figure out when the right time is, OK?

ARMSTRONG: Yeah. Sure.

JOHANSEN: Back on the ship, I wasn't doing well, getting anaemic, but out here with all the food and water ... Actually, the morning sickness is a good sign.

ARMSTRONG: What about the father?


YOUNG: What the hell is it?

(For surely only coincidental reasons, we have switched back to Destiny and Colonel Young, who is shining a flashlight into a crate which the search team has opened. There is some kind of large metal device inside.)

RUSH: I don't know yet.

JAMES: Looks like a robot.

(Rush frowns at her.)

YOUNG: Figure it out.

RUSH: Oh, yeah, no problem - once I've attended to the other hundred things on my list(!)

YOUNG: You can always put somebody else on it.

RUSH: I'm not gonna have anyone touch this thing without me present.

(Young looks round at him. Rush holds up a placating hand.)

RUSH: Gonna get to it, Colonel.

(He turns and walks away. Young looks at James.)

YOUNG: Close it up.

JAMES: OK.

(Two of her team put the lid back onto the crate.)


PLANET. It's night time and the crew has gathered around a fire. Scott goes over to Chloe who is sitting on a box.

SCOTT: Hey. You OK?

ARMSTRONG (sighing): Yeah.

SCOTT (sitting down beside her): Homesick for Destiny? Only a few more days ‘til we head back.

ARMSTRONG: Honestly, no. (She laughs.) I'm not. I like it here. I'm starting to wonder if Doctor Caine is right - that it's no accident we found this planet.

SCOTT: We were brought here by God?

ARMSTRONG: Or whoever. I don't know. I mean, if some alien beings are powerful enough to create this place, maybe there is some kind of higher power in the universe that knew we were in trouble; put this planet here for us to find. Maybe it's time we stopped thinking about ...

(She breaks off and frowns, staring up and over Matt's shoulder.)

ARMSTRONG: Hey, what's that?

(Scott turns and follows her gaze. From some distance away, a narrow but powerful beam of white light has begun to shine up into the night sky.)


DESTINY. From the shuttle, Scott is reporting the news via comms to the Control Interface Room.

YOUNG: When?

SCOTT: Tonight, just now, coming from the obelisk, shooting straight up into the sky. Doctor Volker detected some kind of a strange radiation. He's working on it, but it's like this whole thing suddenly came to life.

YOUNG (to Rush): Why now? Why not when they first got there?

RUSH: Perhaps their initial impact wasn't enough to trigger an alert, but now ...

SCOTT: So, this light: you think it'll bring the aliens back to the planet?

YOUNG: You won't be there to find out.


NEXT MORNING. Scott has gathered the team together.

SCOTT: Destiny is almost in range. Colonel Young wants us to start breaking up camp. Get ready to head back.

VOLKER: What about the obelisk? I still need time to figure out ...

SCOTT (interrupting): We don't have enough time. We need to be ready to fly as soon as Destiny is in range so we can make a couple of trips and get all that food back to the ship.

(There's an awkward silence. Greer finally breaks it.)

GREER: All right, people, you heard the man. Move your asses! Let's go.

(Most of the team starts to move, though Caine, Chloe and T.J. stay where they are, looking particularly unhappy.)


SECOND SHUTTLE. Young is visiting Park and Brody to check on their progress.

YOUNG: Yes?

PARK (brightly): Yes!

(She pauses.)

PARK: Well ...

BRODY: No.

YOUNG (tetchily): Again with this.

PARK: The shuttle can fly. It can now go both left and right, and up and down.

BRODY: But like I said before, too many problems with propulsion. Fact is, we may never be able to fully repair it.


MESS. James is listing the items that she has heard the expedition will be bringing back with them.

JAMES: All kind of citrus-type fruits ...

WRAY (blissfully): Mmm!

JAMES: Beans, potatoes ...

WALLACE: Sweet potatoes! Scott says they're amazing.

(Camille gasps with excitement.)

JAMES: They cannot get back here fast enough!

(Camille notices Rush sitting alone at a nearby table and looking thoughtful.)

WRAY: You seem concerned, Doctor Rush. Something we should know about?

RUSH: No.

(He stands up.)

WRAY: No problems with your calculations, right? The shuttle will return as scheduled?

RUSH (unhappily): Yeah. And Destiny will leave this system never knowing who created it or why.

(He leaves the room.)


PLANET. T.J. is sitting at the foot of her favourite waterfall, her eyes red where she has been crying. Back at the camp, Scott is looking around as the others break camp. Finally T.J. comes into view as she returns. He marches towards her angrily. Chloe notices where he's heading and steps into his path.

ARMSTRONG: You might wanna give her some time.

SCOTT: What? We're breaking camp and she just takes off without telling me.

ARMSTRONG: She's thinking about staying here. A lot of people are.

(Scott looks exasperated.)

ARMSTRONG: Come on, you can't be surprised. You've heard people talking about it. They like it here.

SCOTT: OK, I like it here too, but we cannot stay. It is out of the question.

ARMSTRONG: Why not? If people wanna stay, they have the right ...

(T.J. has stopped a short distance away and now Scott breaks away from Chloe and storms over to her.)

SCOTT: Where the hell have you been? We've gotta move.

JOHANSEN: I'm not going.

(Even though she spoke quietly, the rest of the crew seem to have heard her because they stop what they're doing to listen.)

SCOTT: OK, look. I understand how you feel. I like it here too, but we cannot stay. The colonel gave us orders.

ARMSTRONG: Matt, don't.

JOHANSEN: I can't go back there.

SCOTT (angrily): Why not?

JOHANSEN: It's safer here.

SCOTT: Safer?! The aliens who built this rock may be on their way back!

CAINE: And good. I mean, if they're advanced enough to build a solar system, I know they can help us get back home.

GREER: Not if they don't wipe us out first.

ARMSTRONG: Why do you immediately think they're gonna harm us?

SCOTT: I'm sorry - do you not remember what the last aliens did to you?

CAINE: This planet was created for us, and we were led here for a reason.

MORRISON: Oh, for God's sake!

GREER: What if they don't come back? Then what?

JOHANSEN: I'm OK with that. I'm healthier here. There's food and plenty of water.

GREER: And we're bringing a ton of it back!

JOHANSEN: And eventually it'll run out.

SCOTT: OK, what about the winters? Doctor Volker - you said you found evidence it gets very cold here.

VOLKER: Yes, well below freezing. For months, T.J.

JOHANSEN: So we'll build better shelters.

CAINE: I don't even think it will come to that. The beings who created this world will return, and they will help us get back home.

(Greer scoffs.)

CAINE: I know it.

SCOTT (to T.J.): You would rather take your chances out here than on Destiny?

ARMSTRONG: We don't know where that ship is going, or if we'll ever even make it home.

SCOTT: There's a Stargate on it.

(He turns to the group.)

SCOTT: As long as we have the potential to connect ...

JOHANSEN (interrupting): Matt.

(He turns back to her. She hesitates, then continues.)

JOHANSEN: I'm pregnant.

(He stares at her.)

JOHANSEN (plaintively): I can't go back there. I can't stand the thought of raising a child on that ship.


DESTINY. Young is on the comms to Scott in the shuttle.

YOUNG: We are in range. You are clear to make the first trip back. We only have the one shuttle, so time is of the essence.

SCOTT: Uh, sir, we have a problem down here.

YOUNG: What is it?

SCOTT: Some of the people have decided that they would like to stay behind on the planet.

YOUNG: Well, you tell them no.

SCOTT: I tried, sir. They have pretty much made up their minds.

YOUNG: Who are they?

SCOTT: Eleven people total. Um, Doctor Caine, Chloe ... Lieutenant Johansen ...

YOUNG: What?! No! Scott! You tell them ...

SCOTT: ... and me.


LATER. Young has called Rush and Camille to his quarters and has told them the news.

RUSH: Eleven?!

YOUNG: Including some of my own people. And Scott, he has the nerve to ask me to fly him back down to the planet after he drops off the ones returning to the ship.

WRAY: Well, look, I can understand some of them wanting to stay, but Lieutenant Scott and T.J. ...

YOUNG: He says he feels an obligation to help the people survive down there.

WRAY: What are you gonna do?

YOUNG: What am I gonna do? (Sarcastically) I'm gonna make sure they all stay down there, that's for damned sure!

WRAY: No-no, you cannot force them to come back.

RUSH: Oh, I think he can.

(Camille throws him a look.)

RUSH: We're gonna lose more people through attrition aboard this ship. We simply cannot afford to shed that many people at one time.

WRAY: So what do you expect him to do? Bring them back at gunpoint?

RUSH: Well, if it comes that, yes!

(He turns to Young.)

RUSH: You allow Lieutenant Scott to return with those who want to come back to Destiny, then send down a military detail and round up the rest.

YOUNG: Oh, that's great, Rush, coming from you.

RUSH: Come on, it's simple.

YOUNG: First you wanna kick the military out, and now you want us rounding people up at gunpoint.

WRAY: Colonel, those people have the right to make their own decisions about their future.

YOUNG: Not all of them.


PLANET. T.J. comes into the shuttle and looks awkwardly at Scott.

JOHANSEN: Did you, uh ... did you tell him about me?

SCOTT: No, I'll let you do that. It's not my place.

(He looks at her.)

SCOTT: He is the father, right?

(She looks down.)

SCOTT: I caught a few looks between you.

(She looks at him in shock.)

SCOTT: I don't think anyone else knew. I haven't heard any rumours or anything.

(T.J.'s eyes fill with tears.)

SCOTT: Hey. Hey.

(He walks over to her and takes hold of her arms supportively.)

SCOTT: You are gonna be OK. I'll be here. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you.

(They stare into each other's eyes for a long moment, then she nods, puts her arms around his neck and lays her head on his shoulder. He holds her as she cries.)


DESTINY. Young, geared up, is walking along a corridor. Rush, with Brody in tow, intercepts him.

RUSH: Have you gone mad?

YOUNG (exasperated): Ah, man. Look, I really don't wanna argue with you.

RUSH: You're letting them stay?

YOUNG: Not all of them.

RUSH: And you're giving them a shuttle?

YOUNG: The damaged shuttle.

RUSH: It's not damaged any more.

YOUNG (to Brody): Didn't you say that the shuttle may never be fully functional?

RUSH: We may need the shuttle for any number of reasons.

YOUNG: I am not gonna leave those people down there with nothing.

RUSH: You cannot let them stay, Colonel!

YOUNG: I have made my decision.

(Rush glowers at him. Young turns to Brody.)

YOUNG: Is it ready?

BRODY: Yeah, but, uh, there's still some issues as to whether it can hold up through atmospheric entry.

YOUNG: Questions that are about to be answered.

(He looks pointedly at Rush standing in his way. Rush glares back at him, but eventually unhappily lowers his gaze and stands aside.)


PLANET. Scott runs back into the camp.

SCOTT: Uh, Eli just radioed. Colonel Young is on his way down here.

ARMSTRONG: Why?

MORRISON: How?

(T.J.'s eyes fill with dread.)

(Above the planet, the second shuttle thunders downwards and starts to burn. It vibrates ferociously as it descends. Alone in the ship, Young reports over comms.)

YOUNG: We're entering upper atmosphere.

(At the camp, everyone is looking upwards anxiously, waiting for the first sight of the ship. In Destiny's Control Interface Room, Rush, Eli, Brody and Park anxiously await Young's reports.)

YOUNG (over comms): So far, so good.

(He looks nervously across to the welded repair on one of the front uprights as it creaks ominously.)

YOUNG (under his breath): Come on, hold it together.

(The ship sinks lower and heads down into the clouds. Scott is the first one to see it appear in the sky.)

SCOTT (pointing): Yeah, right there.

(They all turn to watch the shuttle as it heads towards them.)

YOUNG (over comms): Destiny, this is Young. I made it through.

(On Destiny, Eli smiles with relief. Rush bows his head, not exactly happy about anything to do with the current situation.)


SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. Young has landed, and the expedition crew stands aaround nervously as he walks into the camp. Greer, Scott and T.J. stand side by side at the front of the group. Young gets straight down to business.

YOUNG: Has anyone changed their minds about returning to the ship?

SCOTT: No.

YOUNG: All right. Here's the deal.

(He paces slowly around the group as he speaks.)

YOUNG: I'm leaving the damaged shuttle behind for those who want to stay. You can use it for shelter and power, fly around in short hops on the surface. You will not be able to leave the atmosphere, so don't even try. What it will do is give you guys a fighting chance while you are down here, especially with winter on the way.

CAINE: Thank you, Colonel. I know this isn't a ...

YOUNG (interrupting): I'm not finished.

(He stops in front of the group.)

YOUNG: I will leave it for you only under one condition. All military personnel will return with me to Destiny.

(T.J. looks horrified.)

SCOTT: What?!

YOUNG: Reject my proposal and we'll take you all back by force.

CAINE: You can't do that.

YOUNG: That's not something you wanna test, Doctor.

SCOTT: Sir, some of these people just don't feel safe on board.

YOUNG: None of us feels safe. Doesn't mean we give up.

ARMSTRONG: They're not giving up.

YOUNG: That ship is the best chance we have of getting home.

CAINE: I disagree, sir.

(Morrison snorts and rolls his eyes.)

CAINE: I believe we were brought here for a reason and that whoever created this planet will provide for us. They are our best chance of getting back home.

(Nobody speaks for a long moment.)

YOUNG (softly): OK.

(He takes a step backwards.)

YOUNG: What's it gonna be?

GREER: Colonel.

(He steps to Young's side.)

YOUNG: Sergeant.

(Morrison and several others - those who wanted to go back to Destiny in the first place - move to take their places behind Young. Others move to Caine's side. Scott and T.J. don't move, looking around unhappily, and Chloe also seems uncertain whether to go or stay. Once all the other members of the military are on his side, Young steps forward towards Scott.)

YOUNG: You wanna stay here out of obligation to these people, to protect them? I can respect that, but there are people back on the ship who don't have a choice, and you have an obligation to them as well, Lieutenant.

(Scott's eyes fill with tears as he wrestles with his conscience. Young turns to Tamara.)

YOUNG: T.J. They need you.

(She looks across to Scott, then turns her head to look back at Chloe, but neither of them can help her with her decision. Turning forwards again, her face fills with despair and, fighting back anguished tears, she reluctantly steps forward to join her colleagues. Scott stays where he is for the moment, but he knows that he really has no choice.)


LATER. The shuttle has docked with Destiny and its bulkhead doors open. In the corridor outside, some airmen are waiting to help with the unloading, and Eli is leaning against the wall nervously. Volker is the first one out, followed by at least one civilian and several members of the military. Eli raises a finger of acknowledgement to one of them as he passes by. Others leave the shuttle, then Greer, Young and T.J. come out. During the flight she has tied her hair back up again. A moment later Chloe exits and smiles ruefully at Eli as she passes him.

WALLACE: Welcome home.

(Scott is the last one out. He looks at the waiting airmen.)

SCOTT: All right, guys, we're ready.

(The airmen go inside the shuttle to start the unloading. Scott looks unhappily at Eli for a moment, then follows them back inside.)


OBSERVATION DECK. Later, Camille is alone on the Observation Deck as Destiny jumps back into F.T.L. Her face is full of pain, though it's not clear whether she is mourning the people left behind, or wishing she could have gone with them.


RUSH'S QUARTERS. Young walks into Rush's room and finds that he is whittling chess figures from wood. He seems to be on his fourth piece, and he continues working on it as he talks with Young.

RUSH: Well, as predicted, we've corrected our course and jumped back into F.T.L.

YOUNG: I'm sorry you didn't get your wish.

RUSH (frowning): What wish was that?

YOUNG: Aliens advanced enough that they could build a star system - finally someone you could have a decent conversation with.

(Rush stares up at him. Either he doesn't quite understand that it was a friendly joke, or he's trying to find a hidden insult. Young looks back at him straight-faced for a moment, then gestures awkwardly to the chess pieces.)

YOUNG: I, um, I enjoy chess.

(His eyes still rather wide as he continues trying to take in Young's previous comment, Rush nods as Young turns and leaves the room. Several long seconds later Nicholas finally gets it and starts to smile.)


CORRIDOR. In the corridor, Scott trots to catch up with Young.

SCOTT: Colonel. D'you have a moment?

YOUNG: Can it wait?

SCOTT: I wanted to better explain my reasons for choosing to stay behind.

(Young stops and turns to face him.)

YOUNG: Look, I realise you're probably not hungry for dinner, but I am, and I hear they're serving up a feast in the Mess, so why don't we talk about it later.

SCOTT: Sir ...

YOUNG (firmly): Later.

(He turns and walks away but Matt calls after him.)

SCOTT: What if we were meant to stay there? All of us?

(Young turns to face him again.)

SCOTT: What if that planet was our lifeline and we just let it go?

YOUNG: I can't pretend to answer that, Matthew. No-one can.

(He turns and walks away.)


MESS. In the Mess, several of the crew have gathered and plates of fruit, salad and vegetables are on the tables. Smiling, Young comes in and sits down next to Vanessa James, who shuffles along the bench to make space for him. One of the Mess crew brings over a plate of food for Young. The crew chats happily.


INFIRMARY. In the Infirmary, T.J. sits alone with tears running down her face. Sadly she puts her hand to her abdomen.