Épisode La machine infernale S03E09 - Stargate : Atlantis Saison 3

McKay et Sheppard demandent à Weir d'organiser une mission de secours pour l'équipe du Major Leonard qui est en retard de six heures pour son rapport. La planète sur laquelle l'équipe se trouve est inhabitée mais une étrange énergie a pu être captée lors de l'ouverture de la Porte. Par ailleurs, les contacts radios sont mauvais. Weir accepte néanmoins d'envoyer une équipe, renforcée de trois Marines et de Beckett.

Arrivés sur la planète, les terriens découvrent le MALP mais aucune trace de l'équipe. McKay capte d'étranges signatures énergétiques sur son détecteur.

Les talents de Ronon lui permettent de découvrir assez rapidement une piste mais ils font une macabre découverte : les corps sans vie et en décomposition (plusieurs mois) de plusieurs géniis, tués par balles. Pour Dex, il ne fait aucun doute que ces hommes se sont entre-tués.

Genérique

Toute l'équipe avance dans un terrain boisé. McKay émet l'hypothèse que les géniis ont utilisé cette planète comme terrain d'expérimentation pour leurs essais nucléaires, ce qui pourrait expliquer les signatures énergétiques et ce qui alarme un des jeunes Marines. Soudain, Ronon dégaine son arme. Il dit avoir vu quelque chose.

McKay désigne l'endroit d'où proviennent les signaux. Il s'agit d'une sorte de grotte. Sheppard décide de l'explorer. Ils y découvrent les corps de deux autres géniis. L'un a été tué par balle, et l'autre semble s'être donné la mort. La grotte abrite ce qui ressemble à un laboratoire wraith. McKay découvre un générateur d'ondes à hautes fréquences (IM générator), mi-organique, mi-mécanique, qui est certainement à l'origine des interférences radio. Pour McKay ce qui s'est passé est simple : les géniis ont trouvé cet endroit et comme ils ne savaient pas comment y faire fonctionner les installations, ni à quoi elles servaient, ils ont décidé de les détruire mais n'y sont pas parvenus complètement. Le jeune Marine demande si ces ondes sont dangereuses, McKay lui dit qu'il est peu probable que ce soit le cas.

Ils en sont là de leur exploration lorsque Teyla déboule dans la salle du générateur : ils ont trouvé l'équipe. Ils sont tous morts. Tués par balles. Le corps du Major Leonard est manquant. McKay trouve une caméra juste à côté des corps. Ils regardent le film. Celui-ci montre l'équipe en train de parcourir le même chemin qu'eux, découvrant le labo wraith, les corps, et puis soudain, ils courent, appelant le Prométhée (vaisseau détruit il y a un an de cela) à la rescousse. Ils tombent les uns après les autres vraisemblablement tués par le Major Leonard lui-même.

Beckett émet l'hypothèse que la machine qu'ils ont découvert est à l'origine de ce qui leur est arrivé. McKay acquiesce. Sheppard décide de retourner sur Atlantis immédiatement. McKay s'oppose à cette idée : il faut qu'ils stoppent le générateur. Sheppard pense qu'il est préférable de ramener les corps sur Atlantis d'abord et de revenir avec une autre équipe plus tard.

Ils ramènent les trois corps sur des brancards de fortune. Lors du parcours, Dex les oblige à s'arrêter : il a vu une de ces illusions que créent les wraiths lorsqu'ils pourchassent leur proie mais elle a disparu dans les bois.

Sheppard demande à un des Marines de composer l'adresse d'Atlantis. Ce dernier s'exécute mais lorsqu'il entre le premier chevron, le DHD explose. Tout le monde se met à couvert. Soudain, des coups de feu retentissent. Le sergent est mort, les deux autres Marines, le sergent Braso et le Lieutenant Keagan tombent sous les rafales. Dex crie que ce sont des wraiths mais Sheppard reconnaît le Major Leonard comme étant celui qui leur tire dessus.

Le DHD est complètement détruit. Sheppard décide d'attendre que Weir prenne contact avec eux mais McKay lui rappelle que les interférences causées par le générateur rendent impossibles les communications : la seule solution qui leur reste est de couper ce dernier. Ils laissent les morts sur place et récupèrent les deux blessés.

Arrivés à la grotte, McKay branche son matériel sur celui du générateur. Sheppard demande à Beckett comment vont les deux Marines. Keagan est allongé sur une sorte de table en pierre et Braso est assis le long d'un mur, son P90 sur les genoux. Selon Beckett, les blessures de Keagan sont graves, il a besoin de soins urgents qu'il ne peut lui donner que sur Atlantis. Sheppard lui promet qu'ils vont bientôt rentrer, il faut qu'il fasse son possible pour les maintenir en vie en attendant.

McKay après avoir fait l'interface avec le générateur, pense que les wraith menaient ici des expériences mais il ignore le pourquoi et le comment, sauf que l'IMG est certainement à l'origine de cette espèce de folie dont souffrent les êtres humains à sa proximité. Second problème, tout semble en désordre : les géniis ont du essayer de comprendre à quoi servait le générateur et ont fait des tentatives de branchements, malheureusement sans succès (ce qui les a poussés à tirer dessus pour tout détruire) et maintenant, pour éteindre le tout, il faudrait retrouver le bon branchement. La console principale est détruite et McKay va devoir passer directement par le coeur du système. Ses explications sont interrompues par des bruits de coups de feu.

Sheppard et Teyla se précipitent dehors et voient Ronon s'éloigner dans les bois. Sheppard dit à McKay de rester dans la grotte pour éteindre le générateur.

Sur Atlantis, étonnée de ne pas avoir de nouvelles de l'équipe, Weir décide de contacter la planète et de mettre en place une équipe de secours, au cas où.

Sheppard et Teyla suivent la trace des impacts de l'arme de Dex sur les arbres. Il semblerait qu'il ressente déjà les effets des ondes de l'arme wraith.

Dans la grotte, McKay demande un scalpel à Beckett pour travailler sur la partie organique du générateur. Beckett quant à lui est surpris de voir le Sergent Braso debout. Ce dernier refuse de se reposer et va prendre place devant l'entrée de la grotte pour la garder. Beckett essaye d'enlever les morceaux de shrapnel de l'estomac du Lieutenant Keagan.

Sheppard et Teyla ont retrouvé Ronon. Ce dernier ne leur accorde aucune attention. Soudain, un coup de feu retentit. Le Major ouvre le feu sur eux et blesse Teyla à la jambe.

Dex est persuadé qu'il y a là un wraith et non pas le Major Leonard, il se lance à sa poursuite. Sheppard se retourne vers Teyla et est surpris de voir un homme, Holland, mais l'hallucination ne dure pas. Sheppard aide Teyla à se lever et ils trouvent refuge dans un abri, apparemment construit par le Major. Sheppard change le pansement de la jambe de la jeune athosienne. Teyla s'inquiète pour lui. Il lui dit qu'il va bien et lui demande si elle va bien. Sans doute son ADN wraith la protège-t-elle des interférences de cette expérience. Soudain, des coups de feu retentissent. Le Major Leonard est là, il vide le chargeur de son P90 sur les arbres, puis tire son 9mn de son holster et en fait autant. Sheppard, le voyant désarmé, essaye de le raisonner mais le Major ne le voit pas, au lieu de son supérieur, ce sont des super soldats de l'armée d'Anubis qui apparaissent et l'encerclent. Déterminé, sachant qu'il est condamné, le Major tire une grenade, la dégoupille et la porte contre sa poitrine... Sheppard a juste le temps de se mettre à couvert avant qu'elle n'explose, tuant le Major. Sheppard rejoint Teyla dans l'abri quand un bruit familier se fait entendre, celui d'une voiture, une jeep. Teyla lui dit qu'elle n'entend rien.

Dans la grotte, Beckett essaye toujours de sauver Keagan mais le jeune homme meurt dans ses bras. Beckett commence le CPR.

Sur Atlantis, Zelenka essaye de contacter l'équipe. En vain. Weir décide d'envoyer un UAV.

Le sergent Braso revient de sa ronde et découvre Beckett assis par terre. Un drap est posé sur le visage de Keagan. Soudain, Braso voit la main de Keagan bouger. Beckett ne comprend pas, il était persuadé que le jeune lieutenant était mort !

Il fait part de ce qui vient se passer à McKay. Ce dernier pense que c'est la petite expérience des wraith qui est à l'origine de ce qu'il a cru voir, à savoir, Keagan mort. Il a découvert que les wraith essayaient d'améliorer leur capacité à manipuler l'esprit de leur proie. Le problème c'est que les génii ont du détraquer la machine en essayant de l'éteindre et le résultat, ce sont ces hallucinations qui jouent sur des épisodes traumatisants et conduisent à la folie. Soudain, l'ordinateur relié au générateur s'affole, ce qui devrait être impossible, puisqu'il n'y a plus de puissance. Le langage wraith défile sur un des écrans posés sur le mur de la grotte, comme à bord d'un vaisseau ruche.

Beckett demande à McKay s'il a lui aussi des hallucinations. McKay répond que non. Selon lui, le cerveau répond différemment d'un individu à un autre et certains peuvent être immunisés. Ainsi, au collège, il avait fumé du hashish mais cela ne lui avait rien fait. De plus, il pense que l'intérieur de la machine dans laquelle il travaille est protégé par un bouclier. Une fois encore, l'ordinateur de McKay s'affole : les signaux énergétiques sont de plus en plus puissants.

Dans la forêt, Teyla essaye de raisonner Sheppard qui entend des voix d'hommes, des bruits de pas, des portières qui claquent. Sans succès. Il sort de leur abri... et se retrouve dans le désert près de l'épave d'un hélicoptère.

Sheppard se précipite sur une petite colline : on peut voir au loin, des hommes habillés en turban et djellaba. Soudain, quelqu'un s'adresse à lui. Un homme est assis près de l'hélicoptère, blessé à la jambe. Sheppard explique à Holland que devant la lenteur administrative de l'armée, il a décidé de venir lui-même le chercher mais qu'il s'est lui aussi fait descendre. Holland lui demande combien de talibans sont là, six selon Sheppard. La scène se poursuit avec Teyla et Sheppard qui s'adresse à elle comme si elle était ce fameux Holland. Elle essaye de le raisonner mais sans succès.

L'UAV passe au dessus de la planète. Sheppard, lui, voit un F16. Il essaye de le contacter par radio. Dex voit quant à lui un Dart et le descend. Sur Atlantis, Zelenka perd le contact avec l'UAV. Weir est inquiète, impossible d'envoyer une autre équipe sans savoir ce qui se passe et le Dédale ne sera pas là avant une journée. Il leur faut attendre.

Holland s'affaiblit. Sheppard a peur de le perdre, d'être venu aussi loin pour rien. De risquer la cour martiale et la prison de Leavenworth pour un mort. La scène reprend sur Teyla qui parle toujours à Sheppard. Ce dernier appelle des renforts sur son talkie-walkie. L'athosienne essaye de lui faire comprendre que rien de ce qu'il voit ou entend n'est vrai.

Dans la grotte, Beckett s'occupe toujours de Keagan. Soudain, il appelle le sergent Braso. Keagan a de nouveau cessé de respirer. De son côté, McKay pense avoir enfin réussi à débrancher le générateur mais son ordinateur lui dit le contraire. Braso et Beckett ramènent Keagan à la vie. McKay appelle Beckett à la rescousse. Il a besoin de lui parce qu'il ne peut pas à la fois effectuer les déconnexions et les vérifications sur son ordinateur. Beckett lui dit qu'il ne peut pas venir, que Braso et lui viennent juste de faire le CPR à Keagan. McKay lui demande de qui il parle : en effet, le sergent Braso est mort, assis près du mur, dans la position ou nous l'avions vu juste avant que Sheppard ne parte à la poursuite de Ronon. Beckett s'approche de lui. Son corps est froid et la rigidité post mortem s'est déjà installée. Il est donc impossible qu'il ait eu ces discussions avec lui.

Dex a repéré l'abri dans lequel d'après lui, se trouvent des wraith. Il s'agit en fait de celui où sont Sheppard et Teyla. Teyla essaye toujours de convaincre Sheppard qu'il est en train d'halluciner. Ce dernier est toujours perdu dans ses souvenirs, revivant ce qui s'est passé en Afghanistan... il voit un Taliban, de son côté, Dex voit un wraith. Ils ouvrent tous les deux le feu. Sheppard touche le Taliban et blesse ainsi Dex au bras. Teyla crie à Ronon de ne pas tirer. Sheppard la sort de l'abri et ils s'enfuient à travers bois.

Dans la grotte, Beckett essaye de suivre les instructions de McKay pour débrancher le générateur, soudain, il entend la voix du sergent Braso qui l'appelle et qui lui dit que Keagan a besoin de lui. Beckett hésite un moment. McKay essaye de lui faire entendre raison mais l'instinct de médecin de Beckett est plus fort. De son côté, l'ordinateur de McKay s'affole : le générateur est entré en zone rouge.

Se croyant toujours dans le désert avec Holland, Sheppard essaye de sauver leur vie. S'ensuit un petit débat sur la direction à suivre. Vers l'Ouest pour Sheppard, mais Holland est persuadé qu'il désigne l'Est. Il avait raison. Ils se retrouvent près d'un camp Taliban. Sheppard fait exploser deux camions et ils s'enfuient. Dex les voient. Ils croient que le wraith a pris Teyla en otage.

Dans la grotte, c'est la panique. McKay n'est pas parvenu à arrêter le générateur qui va exploser. Il hurle à Beckett de sortir, mais celui-ci n'est pas là. Il sort et se met à couvert mais rien ne se passe. Il comprend alors que lui aussi a été victime de la machine. C'est à ce moment que Teyla l'appelle. Il se tourne vers elle, mais Sheppard le prend pour un Taliban et lui tire dessus. Dex entend le coup de feu et se précipite.

Sheppard, qui se croit toujours dans le désert, appelle des renforts. On voit un Taliban allongé par terre, blessé à la poitrine. Holland le remercie, quoiqu'il arrive, d'être venu pour lui. Ronon arrive devant la grotte. Il croit voir le wraith, Teyla et Rodney allongés à ses côtés.

Bien que blessé, Rodney arrive à dire à Teyla, qui est la seule à ne pas être touchée par les interférences, qu'elle doit couper le générateur. Teyla parvient à convaincre Sheppard de l'emmener dans la grotte. Elle récupère l'ordinateur de Rodney et s'étonne qu'il n'ait pas terminé alors qu'il était presque parvenu à déconnecter la machine. Sheppard a une brève vision de Holland qui lui parle et lui dit quoi faire. Un peu comme un automate, sous la direction de ce qu'il croit être Holland, il parvient, juste au moment où Dex entre dans la grotte, à déconnecter le générateur. Les deux hommes sont sous le choc de ce qui a failli se passer.

Sheppard retrouve Beckett. Il porte Keagan dans ses bras. Contre toute attente, le jeune homme est encore en vie.

Maintenant que le générateur ne fonctionne plus, Atlantis a pu prendre contact avec l'équipe. Il ne leur reste plus qu'à attendre les secours, le Dédale devant arriver le lendemain. Teyla demande à Sheppard s'il est parvenu à sauver le Capitaine Holland. Il lui avoue que non. Teyla lui dit que cette fois, il a réussi à sauver son équipe.

Le mot de la fin revient à McKay qui n'en revient pas que Sheppard lui ait tiré dessus !

ATLANTIS. Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard meets up with Doctor Elizabeth Weir and Doctor Rodney McKay as they walk along a corridor.

SHEPPARD: Elizabeth, we may have a situation. Major Leonard's team – they're late returning from M1B-129.

WEIR: We sent them to check out an unusual energy reading, correct?

McKAY: An anomalous spike the MALP picked up on a Gate scout. The planet is uninhabited, but I thought it warranted a closer look.

SHEPPARD: The point is they missed a check-in. They're now six hours overdue.

McKAY: We've tried contacting them by the radio, but the signal is intermittent at best. Just a lot of static. Could have something to do with the anomaly, but I'm not sure.

SHEPPARD: I wanna take our team, go see what happened.

WEIR: Of course. Take an additional marine unit as well, and the good Doctor Beckett, just in case.

SHEPPARD: Alright.

WORMHOLE TRAVEL.

M1B-129. John, Rodney, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, Doctor Carson Beckett and three marines come through the Gate into a forested world. As they check out the area around the Gate, John activates his headset radio.

SHEPPARD: Major Leonard, this is Sheppard. Come in.

(Teyla, Rodney and Carson all cringe as a mixture of static and a high-pitched whining comes through their earpieces. All three of them take their earpieces out. John tries again.)

SHEPPARD: Major Leonard.

(There's no reply through the interference.)

SHEPPARD: These things are useless.

(Rodney consults a hand-held Ancient scanner.)

McKAY: I'm picking up that puzzling energy reading.

BECKETT: What is it?

McKAY (raising his eyes in irritation): Did I not just use the word "puzzling"?

BECKETT: Charming.

(Ronon is kneeling nearby and looking at the ground. He looks up as John walks over to him.)

DEX: Tracks. Boot prints.

SHEPPARD: Let's go find `em.

(The team heads off into the forest.)

LATER. The team is walking along a wide pathway.

McKAY: The readings are stronger. Whatever it is, we're getting warmer.

(Teyla spots something ahead of them.)

TEYLA: Look.

(They walk towards what she has seen. It's the body of someone long dead. Almost all the flesh has gone. John looks down at the uniform the corpse is wearing.)

SHEPPARD: Genii.

(Carson bends down to examine the body more closely.)

BECKETT: He's been dead for months.

McKAY (sarcastically): No, really?

SHEPPARD: OK, we know *our* guys didn't do it.

TEYLA: And he wasn't fed on, so it wasn't the Wraith.

(Carson finds holes in the body's uniform.)

BECKETT: Bullet wounds. Dozens of `em.

DEX (from nearby): Over here.

(He has found three more bodies. The team goes over to them. Carson bends down to one of the bodies.)

BECKETT: Also shot.

SHEPPARD (looking at another body): This guy was stabbed – repeatedly.

DEX (at the third body): By this guy, looks like.

(He lifts up the corpse's arm which has a knife clenched in its skeletal hand.)

McKAY: What, so they killed each other?

BECKETT: Aye, quite possibly – and by the looks of it, in a violent fashion.

(Ronon takes the knife from the corpse's hand and tosses it a couple of times, testing it out to see whether it's worth taking. John walks away and looks thoughtfully into the forest.)

SHEPPARD: Which begs the question: what the hell happened to Major Leonard's team?

LATER. The team is continuing its search for the missing team.

DEX: I thought you said this planet was uninhabited.

McKAY: According to the Ancient database.

SHEPPARD: Well, it recently became habited.

BECKETT: D'you suppose the Genii are responsible for the energy readings we're detecting?

McKAY: Probably. It'd be just our luck we've stumbled on one of their nuclear testing sites.

(Behind them, Lieutenant Kagan looks nervous.)

KAGAN: Nuclear testing site?

SHEPPARD (shrugging nonchalantly): Just a small one.

(Suddenly Ronon stops, charges his blaster and aims it into the forest. Instantly John and Teyla aim their P90s in different directions in reaction to this. Rodney and Carson move cautiously behind the protection of the marines as they aim their weapons back the way they came.)

TEYLA: What is it?

DEX: I saw something.

(Everyone looks around. There doesn't appear to be anything moving.)

McKAY: Well, what? Person? Animal? ... How many syllables?

TEYLA (to Ronon): What is it?

SHEPPARD (calling out): Leonard?

(After a few more seconds Ronon lowers his blaster.)

DEX: It's probably nothing.

(The team moves on.)

McKAY: Why am I not comforted?

LATER. As the team continues through the forest, Rodney's scanner starts beeping faster.

McKAY (to John in a whisper): Hey.

(He points in the direction they ought to go. They approach the entrance to a cave. [Surprise – it had to be either a cave or a mediaeval village, didn't it?] John moves cautiously to the mouth of the cave, gesturing to Teyla who runs across to the other side of the entrance. Ronon pats John's back to signal that he is covering that point and John moves nearer towards the entrance while the marines continue to watch the forest. John switches on the light on top of his rifle and walks cautiously into the cave mouth. Once he is confident that there is nobody in the close vicinity, he looks round to the others.)

SHEPPARD: Alright, let's go check it out.

(The team makes its way inside the cave. They reach a small cavern and shine their lights around. A transmitter –probably Genii – can be seen on a rock, partly covered with long strands that look like vines. John spots something on the floor.)

SHEPPARD: Doc ...

(He and Carson squat down to another long-dead Genii corpse lying on the floor near the transmitter. It too is covered with vines.)

McKAY: Oh, for God's sake. Enough with the bodies.

BECKETT: Head's snapped completely around.

TEYLA: By him?

(They turn to see what she's talking about. She has found another vine-covered body of a Genii.)

BECKETT: Quite possibly ... (he bends down to look at the body) ...

and then he shot himself. Lovely(!)

DEX: Wraith bunker, but no Wraith.

TEYLA: It appears to have been abandoned for some time.

SHEPPARD: The Genii probably stumbled onto it just like we did.

BECKETT: And then promptly killed each other. Why?

McKAY: Eh, another Hardy Boys mystery. (He looks at his scanner, then points to another area of the cave.) In here.

SHEPPARD: Alright. We'll check it out. (To Teyla) You and Ronon check out the immediate area around the cave. Keep an eye out for our friends, alright?

(As Teyla and Ronon head outside, John, Carson and Rodney walk to the place which Rodney indicated. They find a mass of vines hanging down from the ceiling.)

SHEPPARD: What *is* this?

BECKETT: It appears to be organic.

McKAY: It's like the energy conduit aboard a Wraith ship ... *and* every bit as disgusting.

BECKETT: Possibly.

(Some lights come on, illuminating the vines a little better.)

BECKETT: Rodney?

McKAY: Huh. We've got power.

BECKETT: What's this, now?

(Inside the vines is a tall, slender device of some kind. Rodney pushes his way through the vines to get a better look at it as his scanner beeps even more rapidly.)

McKAY: Well, this is it. Ground zero for the energy readings.

SHEPPARD: This thing's still active?

McKAY: Apparently so.

(Sergeant Barroso looks at him.)

BARROSO: Actively doing what, exactly?

McKAY (squeezing through the vines to get to the device): It's some sort of E.M. generator. It's emitting a modulated ultra-low- frequency pulse. These energy conduits are acting almost like antennae.

BECKETT: Is that what's interfering with the radio communications?

McKAY: Probably. The Genii must have found this place, activated it somehow, and they couldn't figure out how to turn it off, so they did what any other good soldier would do in their situation.

SHEPPARD: Shot the hell out of it.

McKAY: Mmm.

BECKETT: Looks like it's healing itself.

McKAY: That's the beauty of hybrid organic design.

KAGAN: This frequency ... can it hurt us?

McKAY: It's doubtful, apart from the obvious sterility issues.

KAGAN (nervously): Wh... what?

SHEPPARD: He's kidding. (He looks round at Rodney.) You're kidding, right?

McKAY (vaguely): Meh.

(Teyla runs back into the cave.)

TEYLA: Colonel. We found the team.

A short distance from the cave, three dead marines are lying on the ground. Carson checks the bodies.

SHEPPARD: OK, so where's Major Leonard?

DEX: I don't know.

TEYLA: We were unable to locate his body.

BECKETT (finishing his inspection): They were killed by MP5 fire, all three of them. Shot multiple times.

McKAY (finding something on the ground nearby): Hey. A camera.

(He holds it up as the others walk over to him.)

McKAY: Look at this.

(He opens the screen and activates the playback. The voice of one of Leonard's team, Largent, can be heard as the image shows the team making their way along the path from the Gate. The camera appears to be attached to Largent's chest, so it shows whatever he is facing throughout the recording.)

LARGENT's VOICE: OK, it's a road leading from the Stargate. Kind of wish there was a burger stand or something around here. I'm starving.

(The recording cuts to the moment when Leonard's team found the dead Genii. Major Leonard is bending over the body of one of the Genii, then he looks across to see the other bodies. He points.)

LEONARD: More of `em.

(Largent walks across to the other three bodies. The recording cuts again, then shows the interior of the cave. Largent pans down to the floor.)

LARGENT's VOICE: Oh, God. (He calls out to his team.) More bodies in here! (He pans around the cave.) What *is* this place?

(He spins around as automatic gunfire can be heard outside.)

LARGENT's VOICE: Who's that?!

(The image becomes jerky as Largent runs back towards the cave entrance. The recording cuts, then starts again. The image bounces up and down as Largent runs back through the forest, one of his team mates running ahead of him.)

LARGENT's VOICE: We're not gonna make it!

(There's another burst of gunfire. The team member ahead of Largent cries out and falls to the ground. Team Sheppard look at the screen in shock as Largent's voice can be heard, calling into his radio.)

LARGENT's VOICE: Prometheus, this is Largent! Where the hell are you?!

(The image on the screen continues to jolt as Largent runs on, panting. There's another burst of gunfire and Largent grunts, falls to the ground and rolls over onto his back. The camera shows Major Leonard run past, firing at someone or something further ahead.

Rodney switches the recording off and closes the screen.)

McKAY: He was calling for the Prometheus. That ship was destroyed last year.

TEYLA: Major Leonard killed his own men? Why would he do that?

SHEPPARD: I don't know.

DEX: Maybe whatever caused the Genii to turn on each other did the same thing to our people.

BECKETT: That bloody machine back there.

McKAY: I'll check it out.

SHEPPARD: No. We need to head back to Atlantis.

McKAY: What? No, we can't leave. Look, the generator's still running.

SHEPPARD: I know.

McKAY: Look, I have to at least figure out its purpose. They're probably right. It may somehow be linked to all of this.

SHEPPARD: Well, then we'll come back, but first things first: we have to transport our dead back to Atlantis. Then we'll return with more units and search for Major Leonard.

LATER. John leads the way back towards the Stargate. Carson and McKay are carrying one body on a stretcher that has been cobbled together from branches. Kagan and Barroso follow with another stretcher, and Ronon and a nameless third marine [who, because he never gets named, probably has a red shirt on underneath his jacket ]

carry a third. Teyla is covering their backs.

McKAY (panting): Can we stop for a second?

SHEPPARD: No.

McKAY: Look, I mean no disrespect but this guy's heavy, and ever since I was shot in the ass by an arrow, I've been prone to sciatica.

(John doesn't reply.)

McKAY: No?

(The team continues onwards. Ronon glances into the forest and sees a ghostly image flit by. It looks like the fake images that Wraith project.)

DEX (quietly but urgently): Down. Down. Down.

(They lower the stretchers to the ground and everybody ducks down.

Ronon draws his blaster, charges it and aims it into the forest.

John, keeping low, runs back along the line to Ronon.)

SHEPPARD: What is it?

(Ronon looks into the forest but can see nothing moving.)

SHEPPARD: You OK?

DEX (after a moment): Yeah.

(He sheathes his blaster. John makes a hand gesture to the team signifying that they should move out. They pick up the stretchers and head off again. Some time later they reach the Gate. John checks out the area, then turns to the redshirt marine.)

SHEPPARD: Sergeant, dial the Gate.

(Sergeant Redshirt and Ronon put their stretcher down and the sergeant walks over to the DHD. He presses the first button to start the dialling sequence. Instantly the DHD explodes. The sergeant is thrown several feet backwards and everyone else is blown to the ground by the blast. John gets to his feet.)

SHEPPARD: Carson!

BECKETT (scrambling to his feet): Right. (To Barroso) Get my medical kit.

(He heads for Kagan, who must have been hit by flying debris from the exploding DHD. As Barroso runs for Carson's kit, John bends down to the sergeant and searches for a pulse at his neck.)

SHEPPARD: He's dead.

(A burst of automatic gunfire comes from the trees nearby, hitting Barroso in the shoulder. Barroso collapses. Ronon ducks around behind the cover of a tree.)

DEX: Wraith! (He fires towards the source of the gunfire.)

SHEPPARD (dragging Barroso to cover): It's not Wraith! It's automatic gunfire!

(He ducks behind a fallen tree trunk and looks towards the gunfire to see Major Leonard firing at them. Leonard fires another burst, then turns and runs out of view.)

SHEPPARD: Leonard! Stand down! It's Sheppard!

(Carson is tending to Kagan as he groans in pain. He looks up to see that the coast is clear and makes a run for his medical kit. Ronon races off into the forest in pursuit of Leonard. Carson crawls back to Kagan who has a large wound in his chest.)

KAGAN (groaning and trying to look at his wound): How bad is it?

BECKETT: You'll be fine, son. Just lie back.

SHEPPARD (yelling into the forest): Leonard!

(Ronon reaches the rise where Leonard was last seen, looks around the area, then calls back to John.)

DEX: He's gone!

(Teyla goes over to check Barroso who is conscious but in a lot of pain. Nearby Kagan screams as Carson unwraps a dressing.)

BECKETT: Easy. Easy. You'll be alright. You'll be alright, son.

(He cradles Kagan's head with one hand and applies the dressing as Kagan continues to scream. Teyla looks down at Barroso as she takes out a field dressing from her vest.)

TEYLA: Are you alright?

BARROSO (in pain): Yeah. I think so.

(Rodney stands up and walks over to the DHD. The central panel is almost completely blown out and the crystals inside are smashed to bits. John walks over and stares at the damage. Rodney looks up at him.)

McKAY: We are unbelievably screwed.

SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. Carson fetches something from his medical kit and goes back to Kagan whose dressing is already soaked in blood.

Kagan looks down at his injury, very distressed.

KAGAN: It's bad, isn't it? Am I gonna die?

BECKETT: Look at me. Look at me! Not if I have any say.

(He looks across to Teyla who is applying pressure to Barroso's wound.)

BECKETT: Teyla, keep pressure on the wound. We need to stop that bleeding.

(Teyla nods to show that she understands. Carson turns his attention back to Kagan.)

BECKETT: Right ...

(Nearby, Rodney has hooked his laptop up to the DHD.)

SHEPPARD: Is there any other way to dial?

(Rodney snorts and opens his mouth but John interrupts.)

SHEPPARD: And don't say no if there is *any* possibility, because I am *not* in the mood for your usual impossible heroics game.

McKAY: I wouldn't do that. (John looks at him.) Look, no. Even if we could somehow manually dial, there's no power. Your pal, Major Looney Tunes, knew *exactly* where to set the charge.

DEX: We need to go after him.

McKAY: No, what we need to do is go back to the bunker.

SHEPPARD: When we're overdue, Elizabeth will contact us through the Gate.

McKAY: And she'll probably only get static, remember? Look, as long as that generator is emitting that pulse, we'll have little if any chance of responding to Atlantis if they radio. No, you wanna get out of here? I need to shut that thing down.

(John thinks about it for a moment, then calls out so that everyone can hear.)

SHEPPARD: Alright, we'll leave the dead here. We'll get `em when we come back.

LATER. The team is making its way back towards the cave. John is again taking point while Ronon and Rodney are carrying Kagan on a stretcher. Barroso, grimacing in pain, is walking along with support from Carson while Teyla covers the rear. Kagan looks up at Rodney whose face is contorted with effort.

KAGAN: I'm sorry about this, Doctor McKay.

McKAY: Hey, don't worry about me. You just ... just hang in there, OK?

(Carson glances across at Rodney, surprised by his attempt to be nice for once, but says nothing.)

CAVE. The team has arrived back at the cave. Rodney is already working on the generator. He hands something to Teyla.

McKAY: Teyla, you wanna hold this?

TEYLA: Yes, of course.

(Nearby, Kagan has been laid on a long waist-height table carved out of the rock in the middle of the cavern. Carson is tending to him.

John calls him over.)

SHEPPARD: Doc ...

(Carson walks over to him.)

SHEPPARD: They gonna be OK?

BECKETT: Barroso's shoulder's still bleeding internally, but I should be able to keep it in check. It's Lieutenant Kagan I'm worried about. He's suffered severe penetrating abdominal trauma. He needs complicated surgery, blood transfusions, and all I have here is my medical kit.

SHEPPARD: Alright, you do what you can to keep him alive, OK? We're gonna get out of here soon.

BECKETT: Colonel ... I'm afraid for Lieutenant Kagan, "soon" may only be a matter of minutes.

(They exchange a long glance, then John sighs and walks over to Rodney, who is showing what he's found so far to Teyla.)

McKAY: There – you see right here? According to these readings, if I cut through that membrane, there should be several actuator coils underneath ... well, it's Wraith tech, so it's more like actuator veins. Now, if I can isolate the primary conduit, I can follow it straight back to the core.

SHEPPARD: Glad to see you've got it all worked out.

McKAY: Definitely not all.

SHEPPARD: Some?

McKAY: Well, actually, very little. Look, I can only surmise that it's some sort of Wraith experiment.

TEYLA: I'm trying to impress upon Doctor McKay that determining how to turn the thing *off* is more pressing than learning what it actually does.

SHEPPARD (to Rodney): You don't even know what it does?

McKAY: Well, I can now state for certain that it is, in fact, a generator.

SHEPPARD: We already knew that!

McKAY: Look, the E.M. pulse it's emitting is very peculiar. It's fluctuating in systematic intervals along the ultra-low frequency.

TEYLA: Is that what made all these people kill each other?

McKAY: I hope so.

SHEPPARD: You *hope* so?!

McKAY: Otherwise, there are *two* bizarre things going on, and one is more than enough for me, thank you very much.

OUTSIDE THE CAVE. Ronon is guarding the entrance to the cave.

Suddenly he sees another Wraith `ghost' fly past. Staring in its direction, he sees a male Wraith run through the forest some distance away. Shortly afterwards, it's followed by a Wraith guard.

INSIDE THE CAVE.

SHEPPARD: Whatever it is, I don't think it's doing what it's supposed to be doing. It doesn't make sense to have his prey kill each other before he can feed on them.

McKAY: Well, I think you're right. (He pulls the end of one of the vines loose.) I don't think these "antennae," as I have so colourfully put it, *have* overgrown beyond their intended lengths.

It's as if whoever turned it on dialled it up to eleven and just left it there.

SHEPPARD: You don't think ...

McKAY: Yeah. The Genii. They must have discovered the place, started messing around with the machine without having the first clue as to what they were doing. (He indicates more of the vines.) It explains why the place is covered in this.

TEYLA: And before they realised what they'd done ...

McKAY: ... they couldn't figure out how to turn it off, so they shot the thing, hoping they could somehow kill it, which only made it regrow more, make it that much more difficult for someone with the ability to actually turn it off *to* actually turn it off.

SHEPPARD: So you can't actually turn it off?

McKAY: I never said that.

SHEPPARD: Well what *did* you say?

(Rodney sighs.)

McKAY: Look, the control console is shot to hell. As I was telling Teyla, I'll have to bypass it, isolate the primary actuator conduit, and follow it back to the core. Once I cut power to that ...

(He is interrupted by the sound of Ronon's blaster firing outside.

The three of them race out. There is no sign of Ronon.)

SHEPPARD: Ronon!

TEYLA: Ronon!

SHEPPARD: OK, we're gonna go after him, Rodney. You stay here, get that thing shut down.

(They hear the sound of Ronon's blaster firing again in the distance.)

TEYLA: This way.

(She and John run off. Rodney heads back into the cave.)

ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM. Elizabeth comes out of her office and walks over to a female technician.

WEIR: Has Colonel Sheppard's team returned?

TECHNICIAN: Not yet.

WEIR: Oh. They're late. Have they dialled in the status update?

TECHNICIAN: We've received no communication from them since they left.

WEIR: OK, try to establish a radio link, find out what's taking them so long; and I want a team standing by just in case they need assistance.

TECHNICIAN: Right away.

M1B-129. John and Teyla race through the forest, but stop at the sight of a massive hole blasted through a tree trunk.

SHEPPARD: We're heading in the right direction.

TEYLA: Do you think he's already beginning to feel the effects of the Wraith device?

SHEPPARD: Well, if he is, let's hope we find him before he finds us.

CAVE. As Rodney continues to work on the generator, Carson comes over.

BECKETT: You wanted a scalpel?

McKAY (taking the scalpel): Yeah, I need to cut through this membrane. It's like surgery. It's more up your alley – maybe *you* ought to do it.

BECKETT: I'm a little preoccupied at the moment, thank you.

McKAY: How is Kroger?

BECKETT: Kagan.

McKAY: Kagan, Kagan. What is it with me and names?

(As he gets back to work, Carson goes back to the main cavern and is surprised to find Barroso on his feet and gearing up.)

BECKETT: What the devil d'you think *you're* doing?

BARROSO: I'm fine.

BECKETT: You most certainly are not. Off your feet, now.

BARROSO: Look, I'm OK, Doc. We've got no-one covering the entrance.

I'm gonna take up watch outside.

BECKETT: We just stopped the bleeding.

BARROSO: Yeah, and if it starts again, I'll be right outside the door ... (Carson tries to protest but Barroso continues) ... sitting down, off my feet. I'll be able to keep better watch out there than I can in here.

(He starts to leave the cave.)

BECKETT: You don't go running off, you understand? The last thing I need is you bleeding to death in those woods.

BARROSO (waving a hand at him): I'm not going anywhere. Just look after Kagan.

(Carson sighs.)

BECKETT: Right. (He turns to Kagan and picks up a pair of surgical scissors.) OK ...

(He probes into the wound as Kagan grunts in pain.)

KAGAN: How's Doctor McKay doing?

BECKETT: Good. He'll figure it out soon, have us out of here in a jiff. Smartest man I've ever met. (He pulls something out of the wound and flicks it onto the floor.) Now, you're still bleeding. I need to go back in, apply additional ligatures, hopefully shut off the spigot once and for all. Alright?

KAGAN: Alright.

(Carson pats his arm and goes to fetch more equipment from his medical kit.)

FOREST. John and Teyla run through the forest and spot Ronon nearby, staring off into the distance.

SHEPPARD: What's he looking at?

(Teyla looks in the direction that Ronon is looking.)

TEYLA: I see nothing.

SHEPPARD: Ronon.

(Ronon looks round at them and waves a hand at them in warning.)

DEX: Stay back.

(Up on a rise where Ronon was looking, Major Leonard comes out from cover and fires at John and Teyla, hitting Teyla in the thigh. She cries out and falls to the ground.)

SHEPPARD: Ronon! Cover fire!

(Ronon scrambles forward to a better position. He takes cover just in time as Leonard opens fire on him. Leaning out of his cover, he returns fire while John gets Teyla to her feet and helps her hobble off. Leonard fires towards them but they get to the shelter of a tree trunk. John lays her down, then moves to the edge of the trunk and glances out, ducking back as Leonard fires at him again. John waits until he finishes firing, then calls out.)

SHEPPARD: Leonard, stand down!

(Leonard opens fire again. Nearby, Ronon starts to make his way towards Leonard, diving for cover as Leonard turns his attention towards him again. He looks across to John. As John starts to fire towards Leonard, Ronon looks towards Leonard's position, only to see a male Wraith where Leonard just was. Ronon fires a couple of blasts in its direction and it turns and runs. John fires again at Leonard, then stops as Leonard turns and runs. Ronon bursts out of cover and races off up the hill.)

SHEPPARD: Ronon! Stop! Ronon!

(Ronon takes no notice. Behind John, a man's voice speaks.)

HOLLAND: Sheppard.

(John turns to where Teyla was just lying, only to see a badly injured man wearing desert camo lying there and no sign of Teyla.)

HOLLAND: What the hell are *you* doing here?

(John stares in shock.)

SHEPPARD: Holland?

TEYLA's VOICE: John?

(John stares as the camera pans back down to the ground. Teyla is back where she was before and the man is gone.)

TEYLA: John? (She looks at him nervously as he walks over to tend to her.) Are you OK?

SHEPPARD: Yeah. (He pulls himself together and looks at her wound.)

He got you pretty good. Alright. (He takes a field dressing out of his vest as Teyla still looks at him anxiously.) Gotta stop the bleeding.

(Teyla winces as he starts to dress her wound.)

LATER. Teyla is hobbling through the forest with her arm around John's neck as he supports most of her weight. They stop as they see a small hide nearby, made up of some thick branches and covered with foliage. John nods to Teyla who takes her arm from around his neck and supports herself on a nearby tree while she checks the area behind them. John raises his rifle and walks cautiously towards the hide.

SHEPPARD: Leonard?

(He quickly opens the camouflage tent material that Leonard has used to cover the front of the hide. There's nobody inside but some of Leonard's gear is lying on the ground. He turns and runs back to Teyla.)

SHEPPARD: We're clear.

(Teyla puts her arm around his neck again and he helps her inside the hide, lowers her to the floor, then goes back to the doorway and checks the area. Once he's sure that there's nobody around, he looks around the hide.)

SHEPPARD: Leonard must have built this place before he lost it. (He goes back to Teyla and checks her dressing.) Dressing's a little sloppy. Still bleeding pretty badly. I'm gonna change it, and then go get Beckett.

TEYLA: John, what just happened out there? The look on your face – the confusion?

SHEPPARD: Nothing. Somebody just popped into mind, caught me off- guard.

TEYLA: Do you think it has anything to do with the Wraith generator?

SHEPPARD: Hell if *I* know.

(Teyla winces as he changes her dressing.)

SHEPPARD: Don't worry. (He smiles at her reassuringly.) I'm fine.

No violent urges yet, huh? What about you?

(Teyla looks at him enquiringly.)

SHEPPARD: Getting' any ideas about killing me?

Teyla (smiling): No.

SHEPPARD: That's good to hear. Anyway, if this *is* some Wraith experiment gone haywire, maybe that part of your DNA will make you immune to it ...

(Automatic gunfire can be heard outside. John picks up his rifle and moves to the doorway. Looking out, he can see Leonard making his way towards the hide, his rifle aimed out into the forest. Leonard fires into the trees as John carefully leaves the hide. Teyla crawls to the doorway and looks out. Leonard fires some more, then runs out of bullets. Tossing the rifle to the ground, he takes out a pistol and fires again before turning and firing some more in the opposite direction. Then his pistol runs out of ammunition. As he throws the pistol angrily to the floor, John comes out from cover and walks towards him.)

SHEPPARD: Major?

(Leonard looks at him, his eyes wide.)

SHEPPARD: It's alright. It's Sheppard.

(Leonard backs away from him nervously as John walks slowly towards him. We see what Leonard can see – it's not John but a man dressed head to foot in black armour with a black shiny helmet enclosing his face. "SG-1" viewers instantly recognise it as one of Anubis' Kull warriors. Non "SG-1" viewers ask, "What the heck is *that* supposed to be?!" Your transcriber patiently explains that Kull warriors – dubbed "super soldiers" by Stargate Command – are genetically engineered human/Goa'uld hybrids designed by Anubis as a virtually unkillable army. John, unaware of what Leonard is seeing, tries to calm him down as he stares at him in panic.)

SHEPPARD: Listen. There's some strange Wraith pulses messing with your mind. We're gonna turn it off, and you're gonna be OK.

(Leonard stares wide-eyed at the warrior standing in front of him.

He looks to his left and sees another warrior approaching. To his right, two more warriors walk towards him, aiming their weapons at him. He activates his radio.)

LEONARD (into radio): I've got four super soldiers on me. Where's that backup?

SHEPPARD: It's alright, Major. I'm here all alone.

(Glaring at the warrior, Leonard reaches into his vest and takes out a grenade. He pulls the pin out as John stares at him wide-eyed.

Leonard looks at John/the warrior with a determined look on his face as he holds the grenade up. John turns and runs as Leonard clasps the grenade to his chest. As John hurls himself to the ground, the grenade explodes and debris rains down all around him. He gets to his feet and looks back, his face full of sorrow and shock, then turns and walks back to Teyla who is still lying in the doorway.)

TEYLA: I am sorry.

(John looks back towards Leonard's body.)

SHEPPARD: Gotta get his tags.

(Suddenly he turns and looks to his left, aiming his rifle cautiously as he hears the surprising sound of a car engine some distance away.)

TEYLA: What's wrong?

(John rises to his feet as the engine sound continues, fading as if the vehicle is moving away.)

SHEPPARD: Did you hear that?

TEYLA: What?

SHEPPARD: Engines – like a jeep ... not that you would know what a jeep sounds like.

TEYLA: I hear nothing.

(The engine sound disappears into the distance.)

CAVE. Carson is still operating on Lieutenant Kagan.

KAGAN: (weakly): Doctor Beckett ...

(Carson stops what he's doing and looks at him.)

KAGAN: (weakly): Thanks for helping me.

BECKETT: I'll have none of that, son. You hang in there. We'll get you back to Atlantis and patched up properly. D'you hear me, Lieutenant?

(Kagan's eyes close and he stops breathing. Carson drops the implement he was holding and puts his ear down to Kagan's mouth.)

BECKETT: Oh ...

(He runs over and picks up a metal box – presumably left behind by the Genii – before hurrying back to the table. Using the box as a step, he climbs up onto the table, kneels beside Kagan and blows a breath of air into his mouth before starting heart compressions.)

BECKETT (in rhythm with the compressions): Come on. No. Come on.

Come on.

ATLANTIS. In the Control Room, Doctor Radek Zelenka is attempting to contact the missing teams through the open Stargate.

ZELENKA: Colonel Sheppard, this is Atlantis. Please respond.

Atlantis calling Colonel Sheppard. Please respond.

(Elizabeth walks in.)

WEIR: How are you doing?

ZELENKA: I've tried dialling three separate times. I've tried several RFI filters to cut through the static, but I'm still unable to establish contact.

WEIR: Send a UAV.

ZELENKA: Alright.

M1B-129. Sergeant Barroso wanders into the cave.

BARROSO: How goes it, Doc? You need a hand with Lieutenant Ka... ?

(He trails off at the sight of Carson sitting despondently beside the table. Kagan's body has been draped with some sheeting.)

BECKETT (quietly): I did everything I could.

BARROSO: Yeah. You OK?

BECKETT: I will be ... (he stands up and throws his surgical glove angrily to the floor) ... once I'm out of this bloody place.

(He walks away, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Barroso watches him for a moment, then looks at Kagan's body again.

He frowns.)

BARROSO: Doc?

BECKETT (disinterestedly): Aye?

BARROSO: Doc.

(He's looking at Kagan's hand which is outside the sheeting. Kagan's fingers are moving slightly.)

BECKETT: Oh, for crying ...

(He runs over and rips the sheeting back. Kagan looks up at him.)

KAGAN (weakly): Doctor Beckett?

(Carson looks at Barroso in shock for a moment, then takes his stethoscope from around his neck and gets back to work.)

LATER. Rodney is still working on the generator as he talks to Carson nearby.

McKAY: So you made a mistake. You thought he was dead and he wasn't. Better off that way than the other way around.

BECKETT: There was no mistake. That boy was most definitely dead: no pulse, no respiration. I tried to revive him but I couldn't.

McKAY: Huh. Well, it could be the effects of the generator. Look, I think I've learned a little more about this experiment the Wraith have been conducting. It seems that they're trying to improve their ability to manipulate the minds of their prey.

BECKETT: What, make people see things that are not there?

McKAY: Exactly. They're already pretty good at it – they just wanted to get better. But then the Genii dial up the power, send out a massive pulse, which is obviously messing with people's minds, inciting violence, pulling up traumatic images and ...

(He stops as his laptop beeps. He looks at it.)

McKAY: Damn!

BECKETT: What?

McKAY: I'm detecting a power surge.

BECKETT: I thought you said it was *at* full power.

McKAY: Well, that's what we thought. Could be a result of the Genii destroying the control console. (He moves to another part of the generator). Yeah, see – they've destabilised any kind of power regulation.

BECKETT: Rodney?

McKAY: Hmm?

BECKETT: Have *you* experienced anything yet?

(Rodney looks round at him, a little surprised when he realises that he hasn't.)

McKAY: No. No, but everyone's brain chemistry is different. Maybe some people are more susceptible than others. Look, I toked pot once in college. Didn't feel a thing.

BECKETT: Really?

McKAY: Mmm. Well, aside from itchy ... and the overpowering urge to eat an entire loaf of white bread. Besides, look, I've been working inside the generator, which is probably shielded somehow.

(His laptop beeps again.)

McKAY: Damn it!

BECKETT: What is it?

McKAY: Power levels are increasing again.

BECKETT: Why?

McKAY (annoyed): Carson ...

BECKETT: Alright. I'll leave you to it, then.

(He walks away as Rodney goes back inside the generator area and looks at another screen unhappily.)

McKAY: No!

HIDE. John is wrapping a better dressing around Teyla's leg when his head snaps up as he hears something.

TEYLA: Colonel?

SHEPPARD: Shh.

(He turns around to the doorway as he hears the sound of vehicles pulling up and stopping, then doors opening and men's voices.)

TEYLA: There is nothing outside.

SHEPPARD: You're telling me you don't hear that?

TEYLA: What?

SHEPPARD: People.

TEYLA: I hear nothing.

SHEPPARD: They're coming closer.

TEYLA: John, listen to me. There is no-one outside. You are imagining it.

(John stands up and moves to the doorway.)

TEYLA: John, wait!

(John flips the door covering open and walks out ... into a desert.

He is wearing desert camo and the tent behind him is sand coloured.

He looks around the area and then down at his uniform in confusion for a moment. Behind him the tent has gone. Instead there is a downed helicopter, its blades snapped and scattered around the area.

The helicopter – also sand coloured for use in the desert – is old and rusty and has apparently been there some time. A low wall of sandbags has been erected near the front of the machine – they butt up against an old dead tree trunk. John walks around the helicopter, looking at it in bewilderment for a while, then hears men's voices in the distance, shouting at each other. While he can't make out what they're saying, it doesn't sound like they're talking in English. He runs up a sand dune nearby and lies down at the top when he sees three Afghan men walking along nearby. Pulling out a small telescope on a chain around his neck, he takes a closer look before tucking it back inside his vest and then running back to the helicopter. He takes cover behind the tree trunk as a jeep can be heard over the other side of the sand dune.)

HOLLAND (offscreen): You're out of your mind, you know that?

(John turns around to see Captain Holland – the man he saw earlier in the forest – sitting with his back against the helicopter. He is badly injured.)

HOLLAND: Where's the rest of your crew? (John doesn't answer him.)

You flew back in here alone, didn't you? Against orders – am I right?

SHEPPARD: Yeah. Command was taking too long co-ordinating extraction scenarios with the Afghans. (He takes out a field dressing and unwraps it.) I didn't think I could wait much longer ... and from the looks of it, I was right.

(He starts putting the dressing onto a wound on Holland's thigh, in exactly the same place as Teyla's was.)

SHEPPARD: So, what was wrong with *your* helicopter that you had to go and hide out in an old Russian one?

HOLLAND (ruefully): Mine was burning.

SHEPPARD: Right.

HOLLAND: Can't help but notice that you're missing yours, too.

SHEPPARD: Small arms fire hit my tail rotor. Lucky shot.

HOLLAND: Great. Now we're *both* gonna die out here.

SHEPPARD: Well, *there's* the Holland I know – always so positive.

HOLLAND: Place is crawling with Taliban.

SHEPPARD: Yeah. There *are* a few here and there.

(He walks away from Holland and takes cover behind the tree trunk as he looks out at the dunes.)

HOLLAND: A few as in how many?

SHEPPARD: Six or so. We can take `em.

HOLLAND: Crazy son of a bitch.

(In the forest on M1B-129, John glances round from his position at the doorway to the hide.)

SHEPPARD: Tell me something I don't know.

(Teyla, lying at the back of the hide, stares at him with concern.)

TEYLA: John? John, listen to me.

SHEPPARD: I'm gonna get you out of here, Captain. Don't worry.

Then ... you buy the first round back in Kandahar.

LATER. A UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) sent by Atlantis through the Stargate flies over the area. In the desert, John looks up as a fighter jet flies overhead, skimming low over the area. He takes his radio out of his vest and activates it.

SHEPPARD: Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?

(In the forest, Ronon is stalking through the trees. He sees a Wraith in the distance, unaware of his presence. He aims his blaster at it but is distracted by the sound of something flying overhead.

He looks up as the familiar sound of a Wraith Dart can be heard. He aims up at it and fires. The Dart plummets towards the ground some distance away, fire and smoke trailing from one of its wings.)

(In Atlantis, the image from the UAV fritzes and dies. The message "Signal lost" appears on the screen. Radek looks up in surprise.)

ZELENKA: We just lost contact with the UAV.

WEIR: E.M. interference?

ZELENKA: I don't think so. The signal was terrible, so I had it boosted so at least we were reading something, but then all of a sudden it just disappeared.

WEIR: Could it have crashed?

ZELENKA: Well, it's a possibility. The E.M. field could interfere with its guidance systems – or it could have been shot down.

WEIR: I can't risk sending another team through the Gate without knowing what's waiting for them on the other side. How far away is the Daedalus?

ZELENKA: Unfortunately, it's on its way back from Earth. It'll be a day or two before it's in range.

WEIR: So we can't rescue them until then?

(Radek looks at her hopelessly.)

DESERT.

SHEPPARD (into radio): Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?

(There's no reply. He looks round at Holland, then hurries over to him as he sees that he is starting to lose consciousness.)

SHEPPARD: Hey, hey, hey. (He shakes him awake.) Come on. Stay with me. I didn't come all this way to leave you here.

HOLLAND (weakly): Sheppard, when we get out of here, I'll make sure I say something really nice at your court martial.

SHEPPARD (smiling): Yeah. Come visit me in Leavenworth, huh?

HOLLAND: No. It's way too depressing.

SHEPPARD: Yeah.

(He goes back to the tree trunk again, looks out to check the area and then activates his radio.)

SHEPPARD: Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?

Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?

(Behind him in the forest hide, Teyla shakes her head to try and keep herself awake.)

TEYLA: John ... whatever it is you are seeing, it is not real.

(John glances back at her, then activates his radio again.)

SHEPPARD: Arclight, this is Zero-Six. Come in.

CAVE. Rodney continues to work on the generator. Nearby, Carson walks over to check on Lieutenant Kagan. He looks down at him, then puts his ear down to his mouth. He looks up and calls out.

BECKETT: Sergeant Barroso!

(Barroso hurries in from the cave entrance.)

BARROSO: What happened?

BECKETT: No pulse. Tell me I'm not imagining it.

(Barroso puts his fingers on Kagan's neck to check his pulse.)

BARROSO: Nothing.

BECKETT: Right. CPR.

(Barroso hauls himself up onto the table as Carson runs for an air bag and a syringe.)

BECKETT: Start compressions.

(Barroso starts pumping Kagan's chest as Carson prepares the injection. Meanwhile, at the generator, McKay yanks out a cable/vine.)

McKAY: There.

(His laptop beeps.)

McKAY: What?! Power levels are still rising. No-no-no-no-no-no-no.

No, that's impossible.

(He goes around to another laptop which has been hooked into the generator.)

McKAY: OK. That's not right. (He changes to another image on the screen.) What? Thermal levels should be dropping, not rising. OK, this is nuts. (He calls out.) Carson! Carson, get in here, I need your help! Carson!

(At the table, Carson administers another burst of air from the air bag over Kagan's face while listening to his heart with his stethoscope. He looks up at Barroso.)

BECKETT: He's back. Thank God.

(Barroso climbs off the table as Carson takes the stethoscope from his ears.)

BECKETT: Nice job.

(Barroso smiles and walks away as Rodney storms out from the generator area.)

McKAY: Carson. Look, didn't you hear me? I've been calling you.

BECKETT: Not now, Rodney.

McKAY: Well, I need your help. It is physically impossible for me to isolate the conduits *and* monitor the laptops at the same time.

BECKETT: Lieutenant Kagan needs me. We nearly lost him just now. We were barely able to restore his heartbeat. I'm not about to abandon him.

McKAY: Who's "we"?

BECKETT (nodding in the direction that Barroso just went): Sergeant Barroso and I.

(Rodney looks in that direction, then turns and looks around the cave. He stares.)

McKAY: Carson ...

BECKETT: What?

(He looks where Rodney is looking. Sergeant Barroso is sitting on the floor, his eyes open and fixed. Carson stares in shock, looks back at the area where he thought Barroso was, then goes over to the sergeant, bends down and puts his fingers on his neck.)

BECKETT: Cold. (He removes his fingers from his neck and tries to lift his arm.) Rigour mortis. (He stares up at Rodney.) That's impossible. He was just helping me.

(Rodney walks over to him and puts his hand gently on his shoulder.)

McKAY: Come on. We need to turn that generator off.

(Carson stands up, looking back down at Barroso for a moment.)

BECKETT (softly): Aye.

McKAY: This way.

FOREST. Ronon races through the trees, then stops and takes cover behind a tree. Peering out from behind it, he sees the hide a little way away.

(Inside the hide, Teyla winces as she tries and fails to get up. She looks across to John who is still at the doorway.)

TEYLA: John, Major Leonard is dead. There is no more danger. Now, I need you to get me to Doctor Beckett. I can't walk ...

(Without turning, John holds out a hand to silence her as he hears movement outside. He moves out of the hide ... and in the desert he looks around the tree trunk and sees an Afghan man on the top of the sand dune making his way towards the helicopter. In the forest, Ronon looks through a small telescope and sees a Wraith peering around a tree nearby. Ronon ducks back behind the tree. In the desert, John cocks his rifle. In the forest, Ronon chooses his moment, comes around the tree, fires towards the Wraith and races off, firing as he goes. In the desert, the man fires an automatic rifle towards John. John returns fire. In the forest, Ronon runs for cover as P90 fire blasts the heck out of a tree stump nearby. He returns fire and the blast rips through the hide. Teyla cringes and calls out.

TEYLA: Ronon, don't shoot! It's us!

(In the desert, John fires a hail of bullets at the man, who cries out and falls down before getting up and stumbling away. In the forest, John lowers his rifle and turns back to Teyla.)

SHEPPARD: Clipped him in the arm. Not enough to kill him, but enough to scare him off.

TEYLA: John ...

SHEPPARD: He's probably calling his buddies.

TEYLA: John ...

SHEPPARD: We've gotta get out of here.

(He hauls her to her feet, ignoring her groan of pain, and drags her towards the hide doorway. Out in the trees, Ronon rips some material from his vest and, holding one end in his teeth, wraps the material around the gunshot wound in his arm. He groans in agony as he pulls the material tight, then ties it off. Back at the hide, Teyla groans as John hurries her outside.)

SHEPPARD: Don't worry. I'm going to take care of his friends.

CAVE. At the generator, Rodney is giving instructions to Carson.

McKAY: OK, the one on the left, follow it straight down to the core.

From there, you should be able to ...

(His laptop beeps.)

McKAY (looking at it): No ... (He looks across to what Carson is doing and rolls his eyes.) No, look, the one on the left. Carson, come on. Pay attention.

(He walks over to where Carson is standing in a very uncomfortable position, trying to reach through a mass of vines to reach a cable.)

BECKETT: I'm trying, damn it!

BARROSO's VOICE: Doc!

(Carson looks around and sees Barroso standing nearby and pointing urgently to the area where Kagan is lying.)

BECKETT: Doc, come *in* here. I need you.

(Rodney stares at Carson as he turns away from the generator.)

McKAY: Hey, what are you doing?

BECKETT (starting to walk towards Barroso): He needs me.

McKAY: Who?

BECKETT: Sergeant Barroso.

(Rodney glances to where Carson is looking. There's nobody there.)

McKAY: I already told you – Barroso is dead. It's the E.M.

generator – it's messing with your mind.

BARROSO: Kagan's crashed again! Get *in* here, Doc!

(Carson starts to walk towards him but Rodney stops him.)

McKAY: Hey, Carson, come on. I need you to concentrate.

BECKETT: For God's sakes, Rodney! Don't you see him?

McKAY (shouting): Barroso is dead! And if we don't shut that generator down, we're gonna be dead right along with him!

BARROSO: He's trying to stop you from saving Kagan's life! Don't let him!

(Carson hesitates for a moment, then runs back into the other chamber.)

McKAY: Carson!

(Behind him, the laptop beeps urgently. Rodney turns towards it.)

McKAY: Oh my God.

(He hurries back to the generator. The laptop starts to flash a message, "Overload imminent.")

(In the outer chamber, Barroso is kneeling on the table again, administering heart compressions to Kagan.)

BECKETT: Move aside.

(He puts his ear down to Kagan's mouth while checking his neck for a pulse. Barroso climbs down and hurries over to him.)

BECKETT: We've got a pulse.

BARROSO: Yeah, not for long if McKay keeps pulling you away.

McKAY (calling out): Carson!

BARROSO: Come on, Doc. We need to get him out of here.

BECKETT: Alright.

(He picks up Kagan in his arms and starts to carry him out of the cave.)

DESERT. John has Holland's arm slung around his neck and is helping him hobble along the top of a sand dune. They glance at each other in resignation as they realise that they have no choice but to make their way down the steep slope.

SHEPPARD: Easy.

(They start to descend the slope but almost instantly Holland's lame leg drags in the sand and pulls them off balance and they start to fall.)

SHEPPARD: Woah!

(Helplessly, they roll over and over until they reach the bottom, Holland clutching his leg in agony. John sits up as Holland groans repeatedly.)

SHEPPARD (standing up and dusting himself down): As much as I'd like to stop and take a break ...

HOLLAND (sarcastically): Oh, am I slowing you down?! I'm sorry!

(John looks around.)

HOLLAND: Are we even going in the right direction?

SHEPPARD (pointing): West.

HOLLAND: Looks east to me.

SHEPPARD: It's west.

HOLLAND: Because there's a whole mess of Taliban just east of here.

SHEPPARD: You know what? When we get back to Kandahar, you're buying the next *two* rounds. Alright. Can you stand? (He bends down to help him up.)

HOLLAND: Stand, sure.

(He grunts as John hauls him to his feet.)

HOLLAND: Walk? We'll see.

(With his arm again slung over John's shoulder, they start to move forward.)

HOLLAND (quietly, his voice tense with the effort): Alright, alright.

SHEPPARD: See? Not so bad.

HOLLAND: Just go, OK?

SHEPPARD: See how the sun's moving? That's west.

HOLLAND: Whatever.

LATER. John and Holland have reached the top of another dune and are lying on the sand. On the plain below them are two trucks and a lot of men.

HOLLAND: West?!

(John shrugs. He raises his head to peer over the top of the dune but is instantly spotted and ducks back as the people below fire at him. John fires a long burst of bullets towards the trucks and eventually there's an explosion in the back of one of them. The men cry out in alarm and run in all directions away from the trucks.

Taking advantage of the distraction, John hauls Holland to his feet and they hurry away as the truck explodes.)

FOREST. Ronon runs through the trees, then stops and aims his blaster as he sees a Wraith nearby. He hesitates from firing when he sees who is with it.

DEX: Teyla.

(As the Wraith hurries off with Teyla, Ronon chases off after them.)

CAVE. Rodney is still frantically trying to prevent the overload.

McKAY: Come on! Shut down!

(He turns to another laptop which is flashing the word "Overload" and is now showing 18 seconds until it happens.)

McKAY: Oh, no. (He runs from the generator.) Carson! We need to get out of here right now! (He stares around when he can't see anybody there.) Carson!

(He runs for the cave entrance, passing Barroso's dead body.

Whimpering with fear, he runs out of the cave and throws himself face down on the ground. He lies there for a few seconds, then rolls over and stares back towards the cave.)

McKAY: What the hell? (He gets up.) Why didn't it explode? (He looks at the cave entrance for a moment, then realisation dawns.)

It's happening to me, too.

(Just then he hears the sound of running feet.)

TEYLA: Rodney!

(Rodney turns to see John carrying Teyla in his arms and running towards him. John drops Teyla to her feet and aims his rifle at Rodney.)

TEYLA: John, no!

McKAY: No!

(He holds out his hands in a futile preventative gesture but John fires a single shot, hitting him in the side. As he falls to the ground, Ronon hears the shot from nearby and runs towards the sound.

John drags Teyla forward.)

(In the desert, an Afghan soldier lies on the sand and speaks Pashto weakly as he puts his hand to a gunshot wound in his side. John ignores him and drops Holland to the ground nearby before crouching down beside him and activating his radio.)

SHEPPARD: Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Come in.

(Holland looks up at him weakly.)

HOLLAND: Sheppard ... whatever happens, thanks for coming for me.

(In the forest, Ronon makes his way cautiously towards the cave. He stops and shelters behind a tree as he sees the Wraith sitting on the ground just outside the cave with Teyla lying beside it.)

(Just outside the cave, John activates his radio again.)

SHEPPARD: Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?

Arclight, this is Roundhouse Zero-Six. Do you read?

(Teyla looks across to Rodney who is conscious but in a lot of pain.

He stares at her intently.)

McKAY: I already told you how to fix it. Cut the power.

SHEPPARD (into radio): Arclight, respond. We need to get the hell out of here.

(Teyla points into the cave.)

TEYLA: The interference is coming from in there.

(John looks where she is pointing but can see only desert.)

SHEPPARD: Nothing there but sand.

TEYLA: There is an entrance to a cave.

SHEPPARD: There's nothing there.

(Teyla grabs his vest and pulls him closer.)

TEYLA (urgently): John, you have to trust me. Now, the enemy is jamming our radio signal. You have to disconnect the power. I can show you how, but you have to take me in there.

(In the trees, Ronon looks at the Wraith sitting beside Teyla. He aims at it and fires. Luckily the shot goes wide and hits the cave mouth.)

TEYLA (desperately): Take me in there, now!

(John hauls her to her feet and helps her run into the cave. Rodney looks over as Ronon comes out of hiding and fires again, missing John and Teyla narrowly. As they race inside, Ronon runs towards the cave.)

(Inside, John drags Teyla over to the generator. Grunting in pain and effort, she grabs one of the laptops and looks at it.)

TEYLA: Rodney, you were almost done. Why did you stop? (She points to a mass of vines.) Reach in there. The largest cord – follow it with your hand until you reach the end.

(John hesitates. Teyla grabs his vest and pulls him close again.)

TEYLA: *Do* it, John. Then you can ...

HOLLAND: ...radio for help and get us out of here.

(As John stares at Holland, Teyla pushes him in the direction she wants him to go. John looks at the vines – or whatever he's seeing in the desert – then pushes his hand into the mass. Teyla watches the laptop screen.)

TEYLA: There. That's it.

(Ronon runs into the cave, aiming his blaster.)

TEYLA: Pull it.

(Grunting with effort, John hauls on the vine. Ronon walks up behind them, his blaster aimed at John's head. With one last effort, John pulls the end of the vine loose. The generator groans, then powers down. Teyla sags in relief and exhaustion. Bewildered, John turns and sees Ronon standing there with his blaster aimed.)

SHEPPARD: Ronon.

(Ronon stares at him in shock.)

DEX: Sheppard?

SHEPPARD: Hey, buddy, you wanna lower your gun?

(Frowning in confusion, Ronon does so.)

DEX: What the hell?

SHEPPARD: Yeah. I know. Let's get the hell outta here.

(He turns back to help Teyla, who sighs in relief.)

LATER. John is walking through the forest looking for Carson and Kagan.

SHEPPARD: Beckett!

BECKETT: Here.

(John races towards Carson, who is sitting with his back against a downed tree trunk with Kagan in his arms. Kagan's eyes are closed.

Carson has his fingers against Kagan's carotid artery.)

SHEPPARD: I turned the damned thing off. It's over.

(He stops and stares as he sees Carson's serious face.)

SHEPPARD: Kagan?

BECKETT: He's alive.

ATLANTIS CONTROL ROOM. Elizabeth is speaking on the radio. The Stargate is open.

WEIR: I know you can't dial back in, but I could at least send more personnel through to help with the wounded.

SHEPPARD (over radio): Beckett says he can handle it. Daedalus should be here by night, and I think we can make it with the supplies you sent.

(The view switches to the area outside the cave. Kagan, now looking more comfortable, is lying on some bedding in the shelter of the cave mouth with Ronon sitting nearby. Teyla is sitting on a tree stump in the sun. Rodney is lying nearby with a dressing around his waist.

Carson is sitting next to him.)

WEIR: How are Rodney and Teyla?

McKAY (indignantly): He shot me.

SHEPPARD: They're *both* fine, and ... (he glances back towards Kagan) ... I think Kagan's out of the woods, too.

McKAY: You *shot* me!

WEIR: And none of you are experiencing any after-effects from this Wraith device?

SHEPPARD: Well, I mean, we're all pretty creeped out.

BECKETT: It was the most unsettling thing I've ever experienced.

SHEPPARD: But ... we're gonna be fine.

WEIR: Alright, well, check in in a few hours. Weir out.

(John deactivates his radio.)

McKAY: You shot me!

SHEPPARD: Yes, Rodney, I shot you, and I said I was sorry.

DEX: You shot me, too.

SHEPPARD: I'm sorry for shooting everyone! Just ... the Daedalus'll be here in a little while. Just get some rest.

(He walks over to Teyla and sits down beside her.)

TEYLA: So ... did you manage to get Captain Holland to safety?

(John looks at her for a moment, then looks away, his face full of memories.)

SHEPPARD: No.

(Teyla nods sympathetically.)

TEYLA: Well, *we* survived.

SHEPPARD: Yes. We did.

McKAY: I can't believe you shot me!

(Ronon laughs silently. John sighs.)

SHEPPARD (plaintively): Get some sleep, Rodney!

THE END

Ecrit par Syla__