5.05 "Red Sky" Transcript

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5.05 "Red Sky"

Episode Guide

Précis

SG-1 is welcomed on K'Tau by the planet's religious leader, who takes the reddening sky concurrent with their arrival as a sign from their gods. What he doesn't know is that the reddish color is a reaction caused by the wormhole, signaling the planet's impending doom!

Guide | Transcript

Transcript

EXT—WORMHOLE

[Travellers-eye view as they are propelled out of the Gate, tumbling down stairs. Teal'c and Daniel land on the steps of the Stargate, while Carter and O'Neill have fallen further away.]

DANIEL

(Getting up and taking off his hat)

Ok, What was that?

O'NEILL
Carter?

CARTER

(Sighs)

I don't know, Sir. Margin of error in calculating planetary shift used to cause the rough ride, but we fixed it.

O'NEILL

(pointedly)

Carter?!

CARTER
We did have to over ride some of the dialling protocols in order to get a lock. I'll check the dialling computer when we get home.

O'NEILL

(Looking around, putting on sunglasses)

It's bright.

CARTER
Yes, Sir! This planet's much closer to it's sun than Earth.

(There are a range of baskets of fruit, produce, wheat and flowers laid near the stargate.)

O'NEILL

(Looks around, seeing various items)

Festive.

DANIEL

(Looking at some sort of stone)

This is interesting. I couldn't see these writings from the MALP.

O'NEILL

(He and Carter turn, she's put on glasses)

What's it say?

DANIEL
They're runic symbols, similar to those we found on Sumaria. There could be a connection here to the Asgard.

O'NEILL
What's it say?

DANIEL
I don't know.

CARTER
You think it's a protected planet?

O'NEILL
Well, Teal'c wasn't zapped away.

TEAL'C
There is no Thor's Hammer here.

DANIEL
Well, they wouldn't need one if it was named in the Goa'uld/Asgard Treaty.

[Someone is seen looking from the trees at them. At the sound of a twig breaking, Carter and O'Neill turn toward the noise and take up their weapons.]

O'NEILL
Hey! You! Come on out!

DANIEL
We're not, uh…we're not here to hurt you…we're explorers from a place called Earth…you might know it as Midgar. I'm…I'm Daniel Jackson, this is uh…

[O'Neill and Carter look at each other]

MAN
I am Elrad. Flameman of the 39th order of K'Tau. My congregation and I were on our way here for Morning Prayer when we saw a great wave burst forth from the Annulis.

O'NEILL
Annulis? I like that.

ELRAD

(Points to Teal'c)

He is an enemy of the Gods.

[People talk quietly]

O'NEILL
Not anymore. Thor loves this guy!

ELRAD
You know of Thor?!

O'NEILL
Oh, yeah! He's a buddy!

ELRAD

(Smiles)

Well, then. Come forth! It is a time for rejoicing! Freyr has sent us visitors from Midgar!

DANIEL
Freyr is the god of Sun and Rain, right?

ELRAD
Yes, our protector. Ally of Thor. Friends of the Gods are welcome here.

[A village woman presents O'Neill with some produce.]

O'NEILL

(To woman in front of him)

What do you got here?

ELRAD
Please, come! Our village is this way!

[The villagers lead SG-1 down towards the village.]

EXT—K'TAU VILLAGE

[People are moving around, going about their daily business.]

DANIEL
It's as if…Norse culture evolved in to relatively modern times, while continuing to worship the Ancient Gods.

ELRAD
This is Brother Malcus. He is Chief Accolite within our order.

MALCUS
You must leave. At once.

O'NEILL
We just got here!

ELRAD
These are not just ANY strangers…they came through the Annulis.

MALCUS

(Points to Teal'c)

This one…bears the mark of evil!

ELRAD
He is a friend of Thor!

[Teal'c nods in greeting.]

MALCUS

(Quietly)

The people will not stand for this.

ELRAD
You mean you will antagonize them until they agree with you!

[Malcus looks at them, then walks away]

O'NEILL
Friendly guy!

ELRAD
You must forgive Malcus. He has a suspicious nature, and we have never before been visited by elves.

O'NEILL
"Elves?"

ELRAD
You travel by way of the Gods. You say you know them well.

DANIEL
Norse mythology Freyr was the rule of Elves. They can bring good or bad tidings.

[O'Neill smiles at Elrad.]

ELRAD
We certainly hope you have come to wish us well.

EXT—SHOT OF BLUE SKY TURNING RED

[The villagers look up at the sky, and murmurs among the villagers become ever louder. Carter takes off her glasses, looks at the sky, then begins checking her hand held instruments.]

O'NEILL
Carter? What just happened?

[Carter looks up at the sky, confused]

ELRAD
The Eye of Odin grows dim.

CARTER
Some sort of shift in the light frequency.

O'NEILL
Good. I thought I was having a stroke.

MALCUS

(Pointing at SG-1)

You did this!

O'NEILL
What?

ELRAD

(To Malcus)

Be calm!

ELRAD

(To O'Neill)

Is it true?!

O'NEILL

(To Elrad)

No!

O'NEILL

(To Carter)

Is it?

CARTER

(Looking at her instruments)

I don't know, Sir.

MALCUS

(Quietly, to Elrad)

It is no coincidence that this happens moments after they arrive!

MALCUS

(Louder, to villagers)

The Elves are the harbingers of our doom!

[The murmurs from the villagers grow ever louder. O'Neill looks at Daniel, Teal'c and Carter in turn. Carter looks at O'Neill and shakes her head, confused, then rechecks her instruments. O'Neill looks concerned.]

END TEASER

OPENING CREDITS

EX—K'TAU VILLAGE

[Close up on Carter's instrument, then it pans up to her face. She's looking up, worried.]

MALCUS
Leave us, or be driven out.

ELRAD
Malcus, the darkening of the Eye of Odin is the will of the Gods, you can not blame the messengers.

ELRAD

(Louder, to villagers)

We must go to the Hall of Wisdom, and pray for forgiveness!

DANIEL

(Watching the villagers leave)

"Hall of Wisdom"…that sounds like the place the Sumarians communicated with Thor.

O'NEILL

(Looks at Daniel, and clears his throat. He then walks over to Carter)

Carter. What the heck's going on?!

CARTER

(Quietly)

Somehow the light-spectrum of the sun has shifted toward infrared. Now, if it continues this way, eventually all the green plants will die. With the plants goes the oxygen supply…

O'NEILL

(Quieting her down with his hands)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

CARTER
The MALP should give us more detailed data. It's sensors are more sophisticated.

O'NEILL
Good. You and Teal'c head back to the…Annulis…see what you can find out…Daniel?

O'NEILL

(Walks toward Daniel)

See if these folks have got an Asgard phone.

INT—K'TAU TEMPLE

MALCUS

(Praying)

We beseech thee Oh, Freyr to have mercy upon us. Make peace with our Great Father Odin. And in doing so, remove the terrible curse from our gentle land.

[O'Neill and Daniel arrive, O'Neill removes his hat ]

MALCUS
In the name of our Lord, Freyr, be it so. We…

[He stops as he sees O'Neill and Daniel. The entire congregation, seeing Malcus' and Elrad's looks, turns and gasps. They start whispering amongst themselves.]

O'NEILL
Sorry. We didn't mean to interrupt.

MALCUS
Haven't you done enough damage here, Elves?

ELRAD
Show some respect, Malcus. They are sent by the Gods. We should hear their words.

DANIEL
We were just wondering if you ever speak directly to Freyr.

ELRAD
He hears us always.

DANIEL
Right. You mentioned a Hall of Wisdom. This is it, isn't it?

ELRAD
No, this is a Temple.

DANIEL
Right.

ELRAD
Malcus and I were about to go to the Hall to seek Freyr's wisdom on behalf of our people.

DANIEL
Would you mind if we went with you?

O'NEILL
We could put in a good word.

ELRAD
By all means! Come!

[Malcus gives him a look]

[O'Neill and Daniel walk up to the altar.]

MALCUS
Bow your heads, and prepare to meet Our Lord.

ELRAD
Lord Freyr, Lord of the Aser, God of K'Tau, grant us an audience that we may share your wisdom.

[A bright light takes O'Neill, Daniel, Elrad, and Malcus to a dark room.]

INT—CAVE

O'NEILL

(looks down, having been disarmed)

I better get it back!

[The group approach a hologram similar to that seen in the Hall of Might on Sumaria.]

HOLOGRAM
I am Freyr. For what reason have you come before me?

ELRAD
Oh, Lord, Freyr. Forgive us for disturbing you, but we seek your wisdom.

MALCUS
The arrival of these outsiders has caused the Eye of Odin to grow dim. We fear it is Ragnarok.

DANIEL

(Whispers to O'Neill)

That's the end of time.

O'NEILL

(Whispers back)

Thank you.

ELRAD
We beg you to restore Odin's light.

HOLOGRAM
You are wise to seek my counsel, but only through faith will you prove worthy of my benevolence.

MALCUS
Do you desire us to put these outsiders to death? They could be drawn and quartered before nightfall.

O'NEILL
That's a bit harsh, isn't it?

HOLOGRAM
In time, I will sail to the Plain of Vedrid, where my battle will be fought with swords through the [unintelligible]…

MALCUS
Swords…it is the end time!

ELRAD
Patience!

HOLOGRAM
Likewise, you must face your own fears, as you now enter the ultimate conflict. How you deal with your fears is will prove your worthiness. I wish you well on your voyage.

[Hologram disappears, O'Neill smiles, and waves at it.]

DANIEL

(Pointing to hole in wall)

It's a recording.

O'NEILL

(Sarcastically)

Really?

INT—K'TAU TEMPLE

[O'Neill and the others reappear. People talk quietly.]

MALCUS

(To Elrad)

I told you.

MAlCUS

(To congregation)

It is Ragnarok. Lord Freyr tells us to prepare for our death.

O'NEILL
That's a bit of a negative spin with the ole paraphrasing, isn't it?

MALCUS
I have been interpreting the Word of the Gods for many years.

ELRAD
I'm afraid I must agree with Malcus.

[Everyone talks]

O'NEILL
Hang on! Look, I know I'm the outsider here…

MALCUS
You DARE question the Will of the Gods?!

O'NEILL
No, just…your interpretation.

DANIEL

(Quietly)

You sure you want to get in the middle of this?

O'NEILL

(Quietly, to Daniel)

I'm not sure how to get out of the middle of this.

O'NEILL

(Louder, to people; walks down off altar)

Look, folks. Does Freyr plant your crops for you? Does he? Huh?

[Nos are heard.]

O'NEILL
Does he…harvest them?

[More Nos.]

O'NEILL
Does he build your homes for you?

ELRAD
Those are the tasks of our own hands.

O'NEILL
Exactly! You've always had free-will before…why not now? Maybe this ultimate conflict is a test of your ingenuity and courage.

MALCUS

(To Elrad)

Why do you tolerate this?!

O'NEILL

(Quietly and rather sarcastically to Daniel, who's standing behind him.)

Jump in any time here, by the way.

DANIEL

(Quietly)

I don't think this is a good idea.

MALCUS
In the past, Lord Freyr has always told us to face our fears, and not interfere with the ways of the Gods!

ELRAD
I agree, Malcus. We must do the God's will, but perhaps these strangers are a part of their plan.

MALCUS
Nonsense! They are the harbingers of our doom!

[O'Neill rolls his eyes]

MALCUS
Elves can not change the Will of the Gods!

[Malcus turns, and walks out followed by the villagers]

O'NEILL

(After everyone has left)

Elrad, listen to me…we can help your people. We've been in this situation before. Trust me! We can work miracles!

ELRAD
I trust in Freyr. If you are here to do his bidding, either to doom us…or to save us…then…so be it.

DANIEL
Miracles?

O'NEILL
Yeah, that's what it'll look like to them.

DANIEL
That's what what will look like to them?

O'NEILL
Whatever…Carter come us with.

EXT—VILLAGE

O'NEILL
Hey, fellas.

CARTER
I got a theory, Sir.

O'NEILL
Is it…Miraculous?

[Grins at Daniel]

CARTER
Actually, it is. I think the wormhole that we used to travel here passed directly thru this planet's sun. That might be why we had a problem dialling here in the first place.

DANIEL
What? We should never have connected with this planet?

CARTER
Well, at least not with the current planetary alignment. The light from the sun suddenly shifted toward the red spectrum after we got here. Now, As far as I know, the only way that could happen was if an unstable, super-heavy element, probably plutonium, was introduced to the sun's nuclear reaction. Sort of a…subatomic poisoning.

DANIEL
OK…how did we do that?

CARTER
Well, somehow, the plutonium piggybacked onto our wormhole from another starsystem, and bonded with their sun as we passed through it.

O'NEILL
I hope that doesn't mean it's our fault!

TEAL'C
We could not have known, O'Neill.

CARTER
The fact that the Gate wouldn't dial here when we first tried, leads me to believe that there's some sort of safety protocol built into the Gate system designed to prevent exactly this sort of thing.

O'NEILL
So…design flaw?

CARTER

(Somberly)

No. Sir, we bypassed some of the normal dialling protocols. The fact is, this planet is dying, and it's probably because of us.

O'NEILL
But you can fix it, right?

[Carter bows her head and says nothing]

EXT—K'TAU TEMPLE

O'NEILL
Hey, Teal'C, maybe you should hang out here. These Asgard devices don't know you like we do.

[Teal'c stands outside, the remainder of SG-1 go in side.]

INT—K'TAU TEMPLE

DANIEL
OK, let's see…they bowed their heads, and said a prayer…Lord Freyr, Lord of the Aser

O'NEILL
Just go straight to that…

[O'Neill puts his hand on a circle on the device. A light envelops them.]

INT—CAVE

HOLIGRAM
I am Freyr. For what reason have you come before me?

[Carter walks to behind hologram]

O'NEILL
We'd like to talk to the real Asgard. Thor if he is available.

HOLOGRAM
You are wise to seek my counsel.

[Carter finds the panel]

HOLOGRAM
But only through faith will you prove worthy of my benevolence.

O'NEILL
Yada, yada…uh…Carter, you wanna pull the plug on this guy?

CARTER

(Playing with the panel)

It looks like this is the admitter that generates…

[The Hologram's talking while she's doing this, then suddenly disappears]

DANIEL
Well, we've either made contact with the Asgard, or we've trapped ourselves deep within a vault of solid rock.

[An Asgard appears]

O'NEILL

That's better. ASGARD

I am Freyr. Protector of the K'Tau world.

O'NEILL
Uh…yes, sorry to bother you, can we…talk to…Thor?

FREYR
Commander Thor is in a distant part of the galaxy. He is not available. You are the one called O'Neill?

O'NEILL

(Grinning)

I am the one.

FREYR
We named a warship after you. Short lived as it was.

[O'Neill loses his grin.]

O'NEILL
Yes, that one.

FREYR
Why have you come to this world?

O'NEILL
Exploring. That's what we do.

FREYR
K'Tau falls under our "Protected Planets Treaty" with the Goa'uld. I would hope you have not dispelled our current belief system.

[Carter bows her head]

FREYR
The Asgard felt it was essential-

O'NEILL

(Interrupts)
Aw! Don't worry! We haven't blown your cover. However, we do have a small
(Kneels to get eye level with the Alien)

little problem that could use some of that Asgard magic.

FREYR
Are you implying that our technology is some kind of trickery?

O'NEILL
Are you sure Thor's not around somewhere?

CARTER
Sir? If I may?

O'NEILL
Yeah.

[He stands.]

O'NEILL
Knock yourself out.

CARTER
We may have inadvertently, totally accidentally, cause a foreign element to enter the K'Tau sun.

FREYR

(Little black eyes widen)

How?

CARTER
Ah, well, actually I was hoping you could help us out on that one. Is it possible that our wormhole to pick up a super-heavy element, and deposit it on the sun as we passed through?

FREYR
There are safety protocols in place on the stargate system to prevent wormhole connections that would result in such events.

CARTER
Uh…yeah…see? We have our own dialling computer, and sometimes we bypass a few steps in order to get a lock.

[Freyr cocks his head]

CARTER
We're still experimenting.

FREYR

(Pointedly)

I see.

CARTER
We could really use your help here.

FREYR
I'm afraid I cannot assist you.

O'NEILL
Why not?

FREYR
It is not the Asgard's responsibility to undo every error you make. This technology is advanced beyond your knowledge.

O'NEILL
Excuse me!?

[Freyr blinks]

O'NEILL;
There is a whole planet full of people that are going to die.

DANIEL
Um…this may be our mistake, but the K'Tau people depend on you.

[Freyr blinks]

DANIEL
You set up their belief system. They think that you're their God, and you will protect them.

FREYR
From the Goa'uld, yes.

O'NEILL
Forget all that! Come on! We're friends! We help you , you help us. That's the way it works. Carter's idea saved you from the Replicators. Now, we're calling in the marker.

FREYR
Ultimately, the decision is not mine.

O'NEILL

(Rather sarcastically)

Then, may I speak to whomever decides?!

FREYR
It is possible. Prepare to meet with the Asgard High Council.

O'NEILL
I'm prepared. Right now. Let's go.

FREYR
Step to the place where I stand.

[Freyr disappears]

[Carter looks at O'Neill.]

O'NEILL
I'm sorta prepared.

DANIEL
You want me to…

O'NEILL
I got it.

[O'Neill walks up to the circle, Carter takes his place next to Daniel]

INT—ASGARD HIGH COUNCIL CHAMBER

[O'Neill appears as a hologram in a huge chamber.]

O'NEILL
Hello?

[Echoes.]

O'NEILL
Echo!

[Echoes.]

[Asgard start to appear in seats around the outside.]

ASGARD
Colonel Jack O'Neill of Earth…Welcome to the Asgard High Council Chamber.

O'NEILL

(Appearing as a hologram to the Asgard)

Yeah, thanks for seeing me on such short notice.

[Carter and Daniel's POV is shown. O'Neill is shown talking to the wall while looking up.]

O'NEILL
I assume you can see me.

[Carter and Daniel share a look]

ASGARD HIGH COUNCILLOR
Yes.

O'NEILL
Did Freyr mention why I'm here?

FREYR
Yes, Colonel. They're aware of the circumstances surrounding your request.

O'NEILL

(To Freyr)

Oh, hey! There! I didn't see you. You guys all kinda look…

[O'Neill gets a look from the Councillor, claps hands]

O'NEILL
Thor's not here, right?

COUNCILLOR
He is not.

O'NEILL
OK.

[O'Neill looks away.]

COUNCILLOR
As Freyr explained, we are unable to assist you in this matter, O'Neill. Though your actions were unintentional, unfortunately, the K'Tau people will perish.

O'NEILL
Hey! This is not entirely our fault! I mean, you could have warned us about this crazy Gate thru the sun…thing. Or for that matter, you could have given us a list of the planets that were off-limits.

COUNCILLOR
Both points are true. However, neither is reason enough to interfere.

O'NEILL
You're interfering right now! These people think you're their gods! Granted, you're not Goa'ulds, but you're still pretending to be something you're not.

FREYR
You are correct. However, when we saved these people from the Goa'uld, they were not ready to have their beliefs completely stripped away. In time, when they are ready, the K'Tau will know the truth.

O'NEILL
Yeah, see, there's the snag…they WON'T. They'll be DEAD. I don't get it. You obviously saved them once. Why not this time?

COUNCILLOR
It is not that simple.

O'NEILL
Yes it is! You've got the technology, don't you?

COUNCILLOR
Yes!

O'NEILL
Ok, fine. We made a mistake…a BIG mistake…and we're very, very sorry!

[Daniel and Carter are shown seeing O'Neill talk to the wall.]

O'NEILL
But we also saved your little grey butts from the Replicators, and now we want your help. I'm not asking you to change the course of their cultural development! Just fix the damn sun! No one'll know. We won't tell.

COUNCILLOR
Unfortunately, we cannot.

O'NEILL
OK, at the risk of sounding like the petulant inferior race…why not?

[The AHC talk amongst themselves.]

DANIEL

(Carter looks at him)

"Little Grey Butts!"?

CARTER
Yeah.

FREYR
It would be in violation of our treaty with the Goa'uld.

O'NEILL
What?

COUNCILLOR
The treaty states that the people of the planet protected will be free from Goa'uld nation, however, subsection 42 says the people on the planets can not be artificially advanced thru Asgard technological needs. Using our technology to prevent a natural disaster would be a violation of that order, and would nullify the treaty as a whole. The Goa'uld would be free to invade any of the protected planets…

[Councillor points at O'Neill.]

COUNCILLOR
Including Earth.

O'NEILL

(Who was listening with interest while they were talking amongst themselves)

Oh,…you sure?

COUNCILLOR
Yes. The war with the Replicator rages on here in our galaxy. We do not have the military force to defend every planet covered within the treaty. You would be vulnerable to Goa'uld attack.

O'NEILL
OK. What if I were to say we'd be willing to take the risk?

COUNCILLOR
Even if you could make that decision on behalf of your planet, O'Neill, you can not make it for every other planet that could be affected.

O'NEILL
I…suppose…not.

COUNCILLOR
We are all greatly disturbed that this disaster can not be averted. We wish there was a way.

O'NEILL
Well, they're not dead yet. Maybe there is.

COUNCILLOR
If that is the case, the solution would be up to you.

O'NEILL

(Holds out hands)

Fine?

[O'Neill leaves the Asgard High Council chamber]

O'NEILL
That went well!

[O'Neill walks off platform toward Carter and Daniel, and all three are again enveloped in a bright light which transports them out of the cave]

EXT—K'TAU VILLAGE

CARTER
Sir, I've been thinking.

O'NEILL
I'd be shocked if you ever stopped, Carter!

CARTER
Here, OK.

[Picks up two apples in her hands.]

CARTER
Let's say these are the unstable plutonium molecules that are poisoning the sun.

O'NEILL
Okay…

CARTER

(picks up pears)

What if these are molecules of a more stable, super heavy element, say something with an atomic weight above 200.

O'NEILL
Sure! I can think of a few.

CARTER

(puts fruit down)

Actually, they don't occur in nature, at least not on Earth.

[Daniel and O'Neill look at each other, confused]

CARTER
But I have read about such elements being created in super colliders, at least in theory.

DANIEL
You realize you're mixing your apples and…

[O'Neill looks at Daniel, Daniel glances at him, and grins]

CARTER
If we could introduce these stable, super-heavys into the K'Tau sun, they would bind with the plutonium molecule rendering them inert.

[O'Neill and Daniel look confused]

CARTER
The sun then could be restored to it's normal nuclear reaction.

O'NEILL

(To Daniel)

Huh? How bout that?!

[Daniel just raises his eyebrows, and looks confused.]

CARTER
Well, this is all very theoretical, Sir.

O'NEILL
I have great confidence in you, Carter. Go on back to the SGC and…confuse Hammond.

CARTER
Yes, Sir.

[Carter puts the fruit back into baskets.]

EXT—CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN

INT—SGC BRIEFING ROOM

HAMMOND
A rocket?

CARTER
With a payload of the super heavy element I've indicated. We send it in stages through the Stargate to K'Tau, and assemble it there. When it's complete, we launch it into the sun.

HAMMOND
Will it get there in time?

CARTER
We have three months before the plutonium reaction in the K'Tau sun become irreversible. If we can launch inside 3 weeks, we can just make it.

HAMMOND
Have you considered other options.

CARTER
The other option we've considered turned out to be a one in a million shot, Sir. The rocket gives us better than 50/50 odds.

HAMMOND
Rockets don't exactly grow on trees, Major.

CARTER
I know that, Sir. However, as you know, the Air Force is currently preparing a launch from Vandenburg.

HAMMOND
Major, do you realize how much has been invested in that project?

CARTER
I'm aware of that, Sir. It's hard to put a price on the K'Tau People.

EXT—K'TAU

[Three weeks later. A rocket is clearly visible in the background.]

EXT—VILLAGE

MALCUS

(Storming onscreen)

Colonel!

O'NEILL

(Calmly, yet with sarcasm)

Shouldn't you be off inciting a mob?

MALCUS

(looks at the sky)

Ragnarok grows ever closer…your machine does nothing!

O'NEILL
It's a rocket. It won't work until we launch it. We can't launch it until we build it!

TEAL'C
Time still remains before the sun does permanent damage to your world.

MALCUS

(Loudly, to villagers)

All they have done is bring more outsiders!

DANIEL
You have to be patient.

MALCUS
The problem grows ever worse as long as you are here. If you can't see that the Gods wish you to leave, we will be forced to make it clear on their behalf.

ELRAD
Malcus, this is not the way of the K'Tau. If the Gods did not want them here, they wouldn't be here!

MALCUS
If their presence is truly part of the test…then we have failed…miserably!

[Looks at O'Neill, then walks away]

INT—SGC GATE ROOM

[Siler is working on a component for the rocket. The Gate is active. Carter comes through the Gate, which closes, and gets a clipboard from a female airman.]

CARTER
General, we're ahead of schedule.

HAMMOND
This should be the last shipment of parts.

CARTER
Any word yet on the HG2340?

HAMMOND
Quite frankly, I never thought it would be easier to get the rocket.

CARTER
Sir, without the super-heavy element, this whole thing would have been a giant waste of time.

HAMMOND
Don't worry, Major.

[Hammond smiles. A door opens to reveal Dr McClaren and a suitcase containing the super-heavy element.]

CARTER
Doctor McClaren.

McCLAREN
Very impressive operation you've got here. I hope you consider yourself lucky, Major.

[Carter nods]

HAMMOND
Doctor McClaren finally decided that a peek of the SGC was worth the exchange.

MCCLAREN
It took me 5 years to make that much HG2340.

CARTER
Well, maybe one day, you'll be able to visit the planet your McClarium is saving.

MCCLAREN
Did you say McClarium?

HAMMOND

(Carter smiles)

Sounds like a good name to me.

[McClaren is smiling from ear to ear.]

MCCLAREN
I'll use it in my official report to the Pentagon.

MCCLAREN

(Dumbfounded)

I don't wanna be in your way. You obviously have a job to do here. Good luck Major.

CARTER

(Shakes offered hand)

Thank you Doctor.

EXT—K'TAU STARGATE

[Carter walks through and meets O'Neill, who is looking towards the completed rocket.]

CARTER
That's the last of it, Sir. We've got everything we need.

O'NEILL
Good.

CARTER
Daniel and Teal'c?

O'NEILL
Aw, they're in the village still trying to convince the folks we're friendly elves.

[Carter smiles, and looks at the rocket.]

I think the sooner we get out of here, the better.

CARTER
Is that smoke?!

[The rocket is shown exploding.]

[Carter, O'Neill and members of the SGC run to the rocket as it explodes into a huge fireball.]

EXT—K'TAU VILLAGE

DANIEL

(As O'Neill and Carter arrive in the village)

What happened?

CARTER
Somebody set a fire.

[O'Neill takes off his rifle, and hands it to Teal'c.]

DANIEL
Anybody hurt?

[O'Neill takes off his hat, and throws it on the ground]

CARTER
We lost two members of SG-6. The rocket was destroyed.

[O'Neill grabs Malcus by the collar, throws him down on the ground, and climbs on top of him.]

O'NEILL
You stupid son of a bitch!

MALCUS

(No remorse)

The Gods have spoken!

O'NEILL
You've just killed two of my men, and screwed your whole planet!

MALCUS
Two of our brothers also gave their lives to serve the Gods.

O'NEILL
You coward…

[O'Neill punches Malcus in the face]

O'NEILL
Why didn't you do it yourself? Why?

MALCUS
I would gladly die to serve the Gods!

O'NEILL
Maybe you should.

[O'Neill draws his sidearm, and puts it to Malcus's neck]

DANIEL

(Daniel shouts)

Jack!

CARTER
Sir!

ELRAD
Stop, please! I am truly sorry for what has happened, you must believe me, Malcus has acted without my knowledge. He will be punished. Please! More death serves no one!

[Malcus is still grinning at O'Neill.]

O'NEILL

(After a minute of thinking)

More death is exactly what you people are gonna get.

[O'Neill puts away his sidearm, gets off Malcus and storms out of the village. Carter, Daniel and Teal'c follow him]

EXT—K'TAU STARGATE

[Injured personnel and body bags are seen being moved toward the Gate. SG-1 are seen walking toward the Gate, O'Neill leading the way.]

DANIEL
Jack! Stop! We can't leave!

O'NEILL
The Hell we can't! Carter, Dial it up, get these people home!

CARTER
Sir…

O'NEILL
That's an order!

DANIEL
Jack, would you stop!

O'NEILL

(turns, yelling)

They killed two of my men!

DANIEL
Yes, they did. But not all these people are responsible for that. And the ones that were, were…just doing what they believed was right.

O'NEILL

(Shouting)

I really don't care.

DANIEL
Well, I do. And leaving right now would be irredeemable.

O'NEILL
In who's eyes? The Asgard? They had their chance.

CARTER
Sir, I essentially pressed the button that could end this civilization.

O'NEILL
All right! We made the first mistake, but we were gonna fix it! Is it obvious only to me that these people don't want help?!

CARTER
I couldn't live with myself if I just walked away now.

TEAL'C
I do not believe the majority of the people of this world support the actions of Malcus.

[O'Neill looks at his team, seeming to calm down]

O'NEILL
What, then?

DANIEL
Relocate them.

TEAL'C
Their ties to this world are strong, DanielJackson.

DANIEL
Well, we have to give them the option. Then it's their choice.

CARTER
Sir, we still have the McClarium. With your permission, I'd like to go back to the SGC, and run a few more simulations.

INT—K'TAU TEMPLE

[People are sitting in the congregation, listening to Daniel.]

DANIEL
OK. I know this world has been your home for generations, but it looks now that the Eye of Odin will not be restored.

ELRAD
That is for the Gods to decide.

DANIEL
Right. But consider this…that the Gods are giving you another choice.

ELRAD
What is that?

DANIEL
The chance to move to another world.

[Some people get up and leave.]

DANIEL
You can come through the Annulis with us, it's really, it's very simple.

ELRAD
If Freyr wished us to leave this world, he would come to take us away in his Chariot.

DANIEL
He does. He wishes you to leave.

[More of the congregation leave]

DANIEL
He's very busy right now, and he sent us to take you our way. If you don't go, you will all die.

ELRAD
Your efforts are noble, but if our destruction is the will of the gods, we must face our fate bravely.

[O'Neill is seen at the back of the temple as everyone leaves.]

EXT—K'TAU TEMPLE

O'NEILL
Now can we go?

TEAL'C
The K'Tau were not convinced?

O'NEILL

Nope.
(To Daniel)

Because you didn't say what needed to be said.

DANIEL
Well, what would you have said? Wait! What are you gonna say?

EXT—VILLAGE

O'NEILL

(takes off his hat)

Hey, folks. Join me over here…Come on! Come on in here folks, I got a few things I wanna say.

DANIEL
What are you doing?

O'NEILL
Telling them the truth, Daniel.

DANIEL
Whether or not a god really exists is not as important as whether or not a belief in God really exists.

O'NEILL
You wouldn't be saying that if we were talking about a Goa'uld.

DANIEL
We're not talking about a Goa'uld.

ELRAD

Have we not made our position clear? O'NEILL

Yes! Yes, you have. I just don't think we've made ourselves clear.

DANIEL
Jack, the Asgard

O'NEILL
Are not Gods!

[He steps up onto a box.]

O'NEILL
Hi, folks, listen. You all know Freyr, right? Big guy, kinda good-lookin' lots of fancy gold armor?

[Everyone says yes]

O'NEILL
Well, here's a flash for ya. That's NOT what he looks like.

ELRAD
What do you mean?

O'NEILL
He's an alien who's been pretending to be your god.

[Daniel shakes his head ]

O'NEILL
He doesn't have a Chariot…he's got a spaceship! A spaceship. Big machine like the one we were building. Only his is way better…and…not…blown up.

[Disbelieving murmuring is heard.]

O'NEILL
I'm not kidding you folks. This little fella is about three feet tall, got clammy grey skin, big black eyes, and skinny, tiny little arms and legs, like toothpicks.

[The villagers look on in disbelief]

O'NEILL
They think you need to believe in a god! That you're not developed enough as a culture to think for yourselves.

ELRAD
Enough!

O'NEILL
Elrad, listen to me! These Aliens have the power to help you…they chose not to!

ELRAD
I am sorry for what happened to your people. I know you think you are trying to help us, but, please, it is time for you leave.

[He looks around.]

O'NEILL

(Not caring)

OK. Sorry to bother you. Thanks for your time, folks.

[The people start to dissipate]

O'NEILL
There. I gave ‘em the choice…they chose!

INT—CARTER'S LAB

[A simulation is shown on the computer screen. A light is going from earth through a sun, and stops there.]

HAMMOND
I thought the odds of success in this scenario was one in a million, Major.

CARTER
Yes, Sir. But I now believe we can increase that chance to 1%.

[Carter looks at Hammond, who looks at O'Neill.]

O'NEILL
It's your call, General. I only understand about 1% of what she says half the time anyway.

[Carter smiles]

HAMMOND
Run it by me again.

CARTER

(drawing on board)
We send the McClarium through the wormhole to K'Tau.
(draws a wormhole coming from Earth to K'Tau)

Now, based on the distance from Earth, and the rate of travel,

[O'Neill raises his eyebrows.]

CARTER

I tried to calculate the exact time we shut down the Gate…
(draws an X in the middle of the wormhole)
…so that the McClarium stops short of reaching the planet…
(circles the X)
…and actually ends up in their sun.

(draws rays like a picture of a sun)

O'NEILL
I thought when something was in a wormhole, it existed only as…energy. That you needed another stargate to turn it back into solid matter.

CARTER
Actually, you absolutely correct, Sir.

O'NEILL

(Seconds later, amazed)

I am?

CARTER

Yes!
(Smiles)

You see? It's the Stargate on the other side that actually reintegrates the matter into it's pre-organized form.

[O'Neill looks back at Hammond with a huge grin on his face]

CARTER
Without it the energy in the wormhole would rematerialize in it's base form. Now, in the case of a person, that would be very bad, but in the case of an element, it shouldn't be a problem.

O'NEILL

(Still smiling, to Hammond, whispering)

I was right!

HAMMOND
OK. You have a go, Major.

[O'Neill gets up, STILL smiling]

INT—SGC GATE ROOM

CARTER

(Over intercom)

Sending MALP through. Payload is en route. Executing controlled shutdown…now! Well, there's only one way to know if it worked.

EXT—K'TAU VILLAGE

[Elrad is leading a group in prayer. Teal'c and Daniel are standing nearby.]

ELRAD

(Praying)

Brothers and sisters, at these times, it is important for us to come together as a family. We must remember the great gifts of Freyr…

[Carter and O'Neill are arriving]

ELRAD
…and we must be grateful for the lives that he has given us.

[Daniel, who had his head bowed, sees the two officers, and he and Teal'c go to meet them ]

ELRAD
In this, the troubled time, we must still remember…

DANIEL
They agreed to let us stay as long as we don't try to tell them Freyr's not a God.

[Elrad continues to pray.]

O'NEILL
I don't think we'll be staying.

TEAL'C
Did your method not succeed, MajorCarter?

CARTER
It doesn't look good, I think we missed.

DANIEL

(Quietly)

Are you sure it's not…taking longer than you thought, or…

CARTER
We should have noticed the change by now.

O'NEILL
Let's go.

DANIEL

(Sighs)

I wanna tell them…and say good-bye.

[He walks up to the gathered crowd.]

DANIEL
Sorry, it…didn't work. But, it's not too late to change your mind about leaving.

ELRAD

(Continues praying)

Great protector. Oh Freyr Our Lord and Saviour, accept thou frailties and forgive our sins.

DANIEL

(Praying)
We beg You give us mercy, and return the light that gives us life.
(Looks at Elrad)

Good-bye.

[Everyone gasps as the sun begins to return to normal.]

O'NEILL
Am I having a stroke?

[Carter shakes her head]

ELRAD
Blessed be Freyr! Bow your heads, and thank him for granting our prayers.

CARTER
I'm pretty sure we didn't do this, Sir. At least not on our own.

TEAL'C
The Asgard.

CARTER
They said they wouldn't help.

O'NEILL
Overtly.

CARTER
So, you're saying that by starting the process, we gave them the opportunity to step in without the Goa'uld knowing?

O'NEILL
A way of saving face. Technical loophole?

DANIEL
Or not! Well, I mean, we'll never know for sure will we?

EXT—K'TAU

[The villagers look up as camera pans to the new sky.]

CLOSING CREDITS

Transcribed by Wallace for Stargate SG-1 Solutions

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