[Transcriber's note: this is not as checked as I would like it to
be,
as my printer packed up and so I can't print it off and
proof-read it
a third and final time like I usually do. Hopefully there aren't
too
many errors!]
COLSON INDUSTRIES. Alec Colson and Brian Vogler are in Colson's
office, preparing to leave.
VOGLER: Once you walk through that door there's no turning back.
COLSON: Oh, I understand, Brian. I'm not having *any* doubts.
VOGLER: Alec, it is not just *your* credibility at stake here.
COLSON: You're right there. It's the leaders of the
democratic free
world who should be worried.
VOGLER: Think about the people who work for this company; the
shareholders.
COLSON: I *am*, Brian. They have a right to know the truth, as does
everybody else. Trust me – we're doing the right thing.
COLSON INDUSTRIES. In a large room, many reporters and cameras are
waiting. Colson and Vogler make their way through the crowd, Colson
greeting some of the reporters as he goes. He walks up onto a podium
and turns to face the microphones.
COLSON: Thank you all for coming. As you all know, about five months
ago our planet suffered a horrible tragedy. Over two thousand
American servicemen and women were killed when a meteor shower
disrupted global communications and hit a United States naval carrier
group on manoeuvres in the Pacific Ocean. I'm here today to
challenge the facts of that incident as they've been conveyed to
the
general public. (As the reporters murmur to each other, the view
shifts to Daniel's lab at the SGC, where Daniel is watching the
TV as
Colson is being broadcast live.) On the day in question, none of our
satellites detected a meteor shower.
(Sam walks in.)
CARTER: Hey, what's going on?
(Daniel turns and raises his finger to his lips, shushing her. Sam
leans on the desk and starts to watch the TV with him.)
COLSON: Now I don't know how many governments around the world
are in
on this, but I *do* know we are being lied to and the truth is being
covered up.
CARTER: Oh-oh.
COLSON: Ladies and gentlemen, there *is* life beyond our world.
There *are* aliens out there, and they have a technology *far* beyond
ours, and they have been intervening in our existence for quite some
time. (Sam and Daniel look at each other.) I have proof – and I
am
giving the governments of all the nations that are aware of this
twenty-four hours to reveal the truth ... or I'm gonna do it for
them. Thank you. (He leaves the podium as the reporters shout
questions at him.)
DANIEL: Well – there y'go. (He smiles ironically. He looks
round to
Sam who has her mouth open, then she blinks in disbelief.)
SGC. BRIEFING ROOM. The TV is on and Julia Donovan (the reporter
last seen in "Prometheus") is broadcasting from a studio.
Sam,
Daniel and Teal'c are watching.
DONOVAN: For those of you living on another planet for the past
twenty years, Alec Colson, age forty-two, net worth over sixty
billion dollars, runs a global empire of companies, including
communications, biotechnology, aerospace and aviation. He's
number
eight on the Fortune Five Hundred. He personally holds over two
hundred proprietary patents ...
(Jack comes up the stairs.)
O'NEILL: Shut it off. (Sam turns the TV off.) We know who he is
–
some of us better than others.
CARTER: We worked together briefly, sir. Colson Aviation developed
the multi-engine control systems for the F-302s. Colson didn't
know
what they were for, of course, but he *is* a brilliant engineer.
O'NEILL: He's also a little *nuts*, isn't he?
CARTER (shrugging): You've test-flown experimental aircraft.
DANIEL: We all go through the Gate.
O'NEILL: This isn't about us.
DANIEL: Well, in a way, it *is*.
CARTER: The point is, sir, he's not some loony cult leader.
People
are taking him seriously.
O'NEILL: So, what do we think he knows? (He opens a file and
looks
at a photograph inside of Colson in a flight suit.)
CARTER: He owns several Earth observer and weather satellites.
It's
possible they picked something up – pictures of Anubis' fleet
in
orbit, or the battle over Antarctica.
DANIEL: What I don't understand is how it could have come this
far.
O'NEILL (looking at another page in the file): He's gotten
the
National Security speech from the Pentagon several times. Apparently
the President has called him personally.
TEAL'C: Why not merely tell him the truth?
CARTER: His personality was profiled and he was deemed a (she makes
air-quotes) `security risk'.
O'NEILL: For obvious reasons.
DANIEL: Apparently his father was a newspaper reporter who was jailed
during the McCarthy era. He believes pretty strongly in the freedom
of speech and the rights for people to know what their government is
doing at all times.
CARTER: Leaking classified information could be considered treason.
O'NEILL: Alright – see if he can be convinced not to go
public. (He
starts to walk away towards his office.)
DANIEL: Without actually *telling* him anything?
O'NEILL (over his shoulder): Right!
COLSON INDUSTRIES. Colson's office.
VOGLER: We've got all the major networks, over a dozen live radio
broadcasts, and reporters from newspapers – both legit *and*
tabloids – all waiting for the next shoe to drop.
COLSON: Brian, calm down. (He goes over to a table and starts
pouring himself a drink.)
VOGLER: Our stock price is trading down twenty-five percent. We over-
extended ourselves competing for that last round of contracts. That
stock price is the only thing covering our debt and *you* are
*alienating* our biggest client. We're gonna have to start
selling
off assets ...
COLSON (interrupting): What does that matter, Brian, given what we
know?
VOGLER: I don't know – I guess I'm just trying to hold
onto some
shred of reality.
COLSON: Well, you – along with everyone else – are going to
have to
start dealing with a whole *new* reality from now on.
VOGLER: What if the world can't handle it? What if
Washington's
right and we should just keep this thing in the bag?
COLSON: Trust me. The truth is always right.
VOGLER: We've already caused mass hysteria. You have no idea how
much chaos this could cause.
(A female staffer comes in.)
STAFFER: Alec – they're here.
COLSON: Oh, show them in, would you? (He takes Vogler's hand and
puts his glass into it.) It'll be OK. (He pats Vogler on the
shoulder and walks over to the door as Sam and Daniel walk in.)
Lieutenant Colonel.
(Sam shakes his hand.)
CARTER: Alec.
COLSON: Radiant as ever.
DANIEL (holding out his own hand for Colson to shake): Daniel Jackson.
COLSON: Oh, Doc, I'm a big fan.
DANIEL: Really?
COLSON: Yes – I've been following you since your early
career.
Pyramids as landing pads for alien ships? Fascinating.
DANIEL: Er, yeah, that was a long time ago.
COLSON: Yeah, what have you been up to since? It's like you just
dropped off the map.
DANIEL: I've been around. (He smiles.)
COLSON (remembering Vogler lurking behind him): Oh, I beg your
pardon – may I introduce Brian Vogler.
CARTER: Thank you for seeing us today.
COLSON: Well, shall we? (He gestures towards sofas and leads the
way.) Why don't we start with something I'm sure we can all
agree
on, hmm? (He walks towards a TV near the sofas and picks up a
remote.) That meteor shower was a cover story, and a surprisingly
weak one at that – although under the circumstances I'm not
so sure
I'd have come up with a better one.
CARTER: What makes you say that?
(Colson pushes a button on the remote and the TV screen comes on. It
shows a mothership coming out of hyperspace above Earth. He turns
and smiles triumphantly at Sam and Daniel, then presses for the next
picture. It's a high shot of part of the battle above
Antarctica.
He presses again, and the pictures moves closer. He presses again,
and we see a clear shot of Prometheus hovering over the scout ship.
Daniel looks at Sam in concern.)
COLSON: Oh – (he points to the picture of Prometheus) I'm
guessing
that's one of ours?
VOGLER: We lost contact with twelve communications and weather
mapping satellites for over six hours on the day in question. When
we got them back on line, they were able to transmit images stored in
the buffers.
CARTER: Images like these can be faked.
COLSON: Or made to *seem* fake. (He presses the button again and the
image shows Anubis' fleet in space.) I know why you're here,
Sam.
The Pentagon wants me to know that people like you are gonna be
trying to make me look like a fraud.
CARTER: "People like me".
COLSON: Very smart people. Oh, we have more than this. (He gestures
towards the TV.) Now, obviously I don't know everything but ...
I
*do* have a right to, as does everyone else.
CARTER: Anything we can say to stop you?
VOGLER (in a resigned voice): Believe me, I've tried.
COLSON INDUSTRIES. Sam and Daniel are coming out of the main
entrance. Sam's mobile phone rings. She answers it.
CARTER: Carter.
(Donovan is at her studios.)
DONOVAN: Sam, it's Julia Donovan.
CARTER: How did you get this number?
DONOVAN: I have my sources. Our camera track just caught you and a
nice-looking young man going into Colson Industries' head office
in
Seattle an hour ago. I just saw the feed.
CARTER: And?
DONOVAN: Just wondering if you had an official comment.
CARTER: Yeah – I think your coverage is a little one-sided.
DONOVAN: Come on, Sam – Colson's gonna out the whole
operation. You
don't really think Washington can contain this.
CARTER: We'll see. Look, I don't have to remind you about
the non-
disclosure agreement you signed, do I? (She lowers the phone briefly
to talk to Daniel.) It's the reporter from the Prometheus
incident.
DONOVAN: Colson doesn't seem to be worried about going to jail.
(Sam and Daniel reach her car and get in.)
CARTER: Yeah, well he hasn't done anything illegal yet.
DONOVAN: We had an agreement. You said that if something big was
gonna break, you would call me first.
CARTER: I will, OK? Bye-bye. (She hangs up. Next to her, Daniel
has been looking at his own mobile.)
DANIEL: I've got thirteen messages from Emmet Bregman. (He grins
at
her. Sam sighs.)
COLSON INDUSTRIES. Colson is walking along with Vogler and a couple
of staffers.
STAFFER: The switchboard's been jammed ever since the press
conference. Every crackpot in the world is calling.
COLSON: Yeah, I've arranged security for all of you and your
families.
STAFFER: Do you really think we need to be worried?
COLSON: I'd be more worried about the things we still *don't*
know at
this point.
VOGLER (to the staffers): I'm trying to convince him it's not
too
late.
COLSON: It *is* too late, Brian! Too late for the world to know
there was a large-scale alien attack against our planet which was
barely thwarted; too late for the general public to realise
they've
been lied to by two different elected administrations about the very
nature of our existence!
STAFFER: So we're going public with everything?
COLSON: I was really hoping the Feds would come clean.
VOGLER: I can't believe Washington hasn't done more to try
and stop
us – some sort of legal injunction.
COLSON: That would legitimise our claims. No, no, they're
obviously
gonna try to play this as if we can't be taken seriously.
STAFFER: We're one of the largest corporations in the world.
COLSON: *And* we're telling the truth.
VOGLER: Alec! It doesn't matter who we are, or how right we are.
They can stop us if they really want to.
COLSON: Oh, come on, Brian, what are they gonna do, hmm? Have me
killed? (He chuckles and walks away. Vogler looks at the staffers
nervously.)
SGC. BRIEFING ROOM. Jack and SG-1 are watching Julia Donovan
broadcasting live on TV again.
DONOVAN: Alec Colson, age forty-two ...
CARTER: Well, he's gotta have something more significant than
pictures.
DANIEL (looking at a file): I've been going over government
contracts
assigned to Colson's companies over the last few years. I
haven't
got through them all yet but there's quite a few loosely related
to
R&D of alien technologies that we procured offworld.
(Jack turns up the volume on the TV.)
DONOVAN: ... We'll now head to Colson Industries.
(The feed goes to the live broadcast from Colson Industries. Colson
is on the podium again.)
COLSON: Welcome, and thank you for coming.
(Sam looks at her watch.)
CARTER: Twenty-four hours to the minute.
COLSON: Yesterday I told you of our belief in the existence of
intelligent life beyond our planet. I also told you that we believe
several governments, including our own, have known about this and
have been concealing the information for quite some time now.
Yesterday, I challenged those governments to come clean – reveal
the
truth. We got only silence, which gives me no choice but to present
to you what evidence I have. (He nods to a man standing near a door
on the other side of the room. The man speaks quietly into a
microphone pinned to his jumper.) How do I know for sure that alien
life really does exist? Ladies and gentlemen, seeing is believing.
(He gestures towards the door. The press turn around to face the
door. A man opens the door. A woman comes out ... followed by an
Asgard. The reporters gasp, and flashbulbs start popping as everyone
takes pictures. Back at SGC, Jack looks at the close-up image of the
Asgard, then turns to the others.)
O'NEILL: Well *I'd* call that somethin'.
TV. Julia Donovan is reporting.
DONOVAN: ... a lot of frenzy after yesterday's startling
revelation
of what appeared to be a live alien by billionaire industrialist Alec
Colson. Thus far there's been no official statement from the
White
House, and sources inside Colson Industries promise that there is
definitely more to come.
SGC. DANIEL'S OFFICE. Sam is on the phone.
CARTER (into phone): OK, thank you, sir. (She hangs up.) Well, we
just got a message back from Thor. As far as he knows, there are no
Asgard currently on Earth.
DANIEL: Loki was here for years conducting experiments without the
High Council knowing about it.
CARTER: OK – here's a possibility. What if it wasn't
really an
Asgard?
DANIEL: Looked like one.
CARTER: Didn't sound like one.
DANIEL: Didn't *say* anything.
CARTER: That's my point. Colson wrapped things up pretty quickly
without taking any questions.
DANIEL: It was a perfect likeness.
CARTER: Imagery of little grey aliens has been commonplace on Earth
for years. For that matter, Colson could have a picture.
DANIEL: So not a real Asgard?
CARTER: No Asgard *we* know would allow himself to be used that way.
DANIEL: Did look a little vacant.
CARTER: Still – as much as he wants the whole truth, I don't
think
Colson would perpetrate a hoax to get it.
DANIEL: Then what was it?
CARTER: I don't know.
COLSON INDUSTRIES.
VOGLER: The networks all want interviews.
COLSON: Too bad our friend can't talk.
STAFFER: Well, we know he's capable. The MRI showed a larynx not
too
different from ours but he doesn't seem to have anything to say.
VOGLER: They also want full access for independent medical and
scientific personnel to verify that it's really what we say it is.
STAFFER: How are we supposed to convince the world of alien
intelligence when this guy doesn't seem to *have* any?
VOGLER: We can't just trot this thing out on television with wild
claims we aren't gonna be able to back up! Granted, it's an
*amazing* genetic experiment but we don't even know that the
thing is
really alien.
COLSON: What *else* could it be?
STAFFER: All we know is that the DNA came from the Department of
Defence.
COLSON: Look, we're trying to build a circumstantial case here.
The
more questions we can raise, the more the burden of proof is gonna
shift to Washington. Sooner or later, they're gonna have to
respond
to the public pressure. Meanwhile, we stay quiet. The media's
going
nuts over this whole thing, so let's just sit tight and see what
happens.
SGC. BRIEFING ROOM. SG-1 come in. Jack is already sitting at the
table.
DANIEL: Well, Sam was right – there's something different
about
Colson's Asgard. (He puts a file down in front of Jack as the
three
of them sit down.) It seems that a Colson biotech research company
was given a copy of Asgard DNA for sequencing.
CARTER: We were trying to help with their cloning problem.
O'NEILL: Colson grew a clone?
DANIEL: They weren't told it was alien DNA – it was meant to
be a
blind study, but they obviously took their research a little further
than the contract specified.
CARTER: Asgard DNA is programmed to grow a clone to maturity in just
three months, but they're essentially an empty shell until an
existing consciousness can be transferred into them.
TEAL'C: It did not speak because it was not capable.
CARTER: Exactly. They probably spent what time they had with it
teaching it how to walk.
O'NEILL: Well – the Pentagon has lost all patience.
DANIEL: What are they gonna do?
O'NEILL: They want us to put a stop to it.
CARTER: How?
O'NEILL: We're calling in a marker. (He smiles in a
satisfied way.
The other three look blankly at him. Jack pauses, then looks at his
watch, frowning.) Yep – callin' in a marker. (He looks
round the
room. A few more moments pass, then Thor transports in.)
THOR: Greetings.
O'NEILL: Ah! (He gestures at Thor.)
COLSON INDUSTRIES. The staffer is running to Colson's office.
STAFFER (to somebody in her way): `Scuse me. (She runs into
Colson's
office.) It's gone.
COLSON: What do you mean?
STAFFER: Just disappeared right out of the lab. (Colson looks at
her, not understanding.) The alien! Computers, everything.
COLSON: How? What about security ...?
STAFFER: Nobody took it – it disappeared. We were standing right
there, there was a bright flash of light and it was all just ... gone.
COLSON (getting up and grabbing his jacket): Alright, have Ron send
out the decoy car – and get the plane ready for a trip to
Washington. Have it ready by the time I get to the hangar! (He
hurries out.)
DONOVAN'S STUDIO. Sam, in dress blues, is sitting next to Julia
in
the studio, having a microphone fitted to her jacket.
DONOVAN: You ready?
CARTER: Not really.
DONOVAN: Well, just try not to think about the camera. Focus on me.
CARTER: It's not that. I respect Alec Colson. I don't like
being
asked to discredit a man who has every right to want the truth.
DONOVAN: But you've been ordered to do this.
CARTER: Yeah.
DONOVAN: Well, if you wanna go against those orders, feel free.
I'll
go with it.
(The theme tune for "Inside Access" begins.)
STUDIO MANAGER: In five, four, three, two ...
DONOVAN (into the camera): We're here with Lieutenant Colonel
Samantha Carter of the United States Air Force. (She turns to Sam.)
Welcome.
CARTER: Thank you.
DONOVAN: Your background is astrophysics, and you're one of the
military's leading scientific researchers. We're all very
eager to
finally hear some reaction from Washington regarding the revelation
made by Alec Colson.
CARTER: Well, first of all, I can assure people that, if aliens
really existed and *were* visiting the planet, we would know about it.
DONOVAN: So, are you saying his claims have no merit? We all saw an
alien on live television.
CARTER: Yes, well, Hollywood's been helping us see things on TV
for a
long time now.
(In a car on the way to the hangar, Colson and Vogler are watching
the interview on the TV.)
DONOVAN: Are you saying that the alien wasn't real?
CARTER: It depends on what you mean by real.
COLSON (to Vogler): Notice she hasn't actually lied once.
CARTER: I can show you some advanced methods for creating realistic
3D images that we've been working on.
DONOVAN: By all means.
CARTER: We've been experimenting with technology that makes it
possible for us to create anything you can imagine – virtually.
(Thor appears out of thin air, standing beside Sam. In the car,
Colson and Vogler look at each other.)
DONOVAN: Wow – that looks just like the alien Alec Colson
introduced
to us.
THOR: Greetings, people of Earth.
DONOVAN: That's amazing – he looks so real.
THOR: Though I look real, I have been created through the use of
advanced holographic technology.
DONOVAN: That's just incredible.
(Sam reaches out and waves her hand through Thor.)
CARTER: It's just a projection. You'll probably be seeing
technology
like this in theme park rides in a few years.
(In the car, Colson chuckles.)
COLSON: Oh – she's good.
LATER. The interview over, Julia is looking at the video replay.
She turns to face Sam.
DONOVAN: Not quite the exclusive I had in mind, but it'll still
do
huge numbers.
CARTER: You're hilarious. After everything you've been
through, you
still care about ratings.
DONOVAN: How *did* you do it? I've seen visual effects before,
Sam,
and this was some sort of ... (she pauses as an assistant brings in a
sheet of paper and hands it to her, and waits for her to leave) ...
this was some sort of alien technology, wasn't it?
(Sam just looks at her. Irritated, Julia looks down at the paper she
was just given, and frowns.)
CARTER: What is it?
DONOVAN (reading from the paper): Ten minutes ago, Alec Colson's
private plane was forced into an emergency landing after almost
crashing on take-off from Seatac. The plane suffered sudden
depressurisation and loss of engine power but was able to land
without serious incident. (She looks up at Sam.) `Scuse me,
Sam,
I've gotta get on the air with this. (She leaves, calling out to
an
assistant.) I need something on Colson's wife and his daughter.
(To
Sam) They died in a plane crash when he was twenty-four. That's
why
he started Colson Aviation. (To her team) Let's go!
(Sam's mobile phone rings. She answers it.)
CARTER: Carter.
COLSON: Sam? It's Alec Colson. (He is sitting in a car at the
airport.)
CARTER (walking away from the studio area): Are you OK?
COLSON: News travels fast. It was close. (Vogler gets into the car
next to him.) Brian's still as white as a sheet.
CARTER: How did you get this number?
COLSON: Oh, I have my sources. (Sam looks at the phone in
irritation.) Y'know, the ground crew here found evidence the
plane
had been tampered with.
CARTER: Someone tried to kill you?
COLSON: Seems that way. Any ideas?
CARTER: You think *I* know? Why would I go on TV to publicly
discredit you if I knew you were about to be assassinated?
COLSON: To make sure it didn't look like Washington had anything
to
do with it. And a fine job you did too, by the way.
CARTER: I'm sorry – I was following orders.
COLSON: Yeah, I know. Don't worry, Sam – I don't believe
for a
second you were in on it. If it *was* our government, I'm sure
you
were just a pawn.
CARTER: That doesn't make me feel any better. Look, Alec, I can
assure you ...
COLSON: It's OK, it's OK. It wasn't my first rough
landing; I'm sure
it won't be my last. I won't be stopped, Sam. I promise
you, one
way or another, the world is gonna learn the truth. (He hangs up.)
SGC. JACK'S OFFICE. Jack, in his dress blues, is sitting at his
desk with his fingers steepled in front of his mouth. He appears to
be thinking hard.
O'NEILL: Umm ... how `bout a hyperdrive for the Prometheus?
(The camera pans across and we see that Thor and Daniel are sitting
in the chairs opposite.)
THOR: That is something I must discuss with the High Council.
O'NEILL: Thor, c'mon! You said you wanted to get something
nice for
the President.
(Sam comes to the door.)
O'NEILL: Carter?
CARTER: Sir, anything on who might have tried to kill Colson?
O'NEILL: It wasn't us.
DANIEL: We think that Colson may have fragments of downed Goa'uld
ships recovered from the Antarctic. A subsidiary of his was involved
in the salvage and the clean-up.
CARTER: Are we just gonna keep trying to discredit the man? I mean,
aren't *we* the ones a little delusional to think that we could
cover
up an attack of this scale?
O'NEILL: What's the alternative?
CARTER: How `bout tell the truth? (Daniel and Jack look at her,
surprised.) I mean to Colson. I know he's been profiled and
deemed
a security risk and obviously that's an accurate assessment, but
what
have we got to lose at this point? He's already trying to go
public –
let's show him why it's so important to keep the secret.
Besides,
think of the benefits of having a man with his resources on our side.
O'NEILL: Well, Thor and I are meeting with the President in five
minutes. I'll bring it up. (He picks up his hat and tucks it
under
his arm, and starts to button his jacket.)
CARTER: Five minutes?
O'NEILL (smiling smugly): Oh yeah!
(He and Thor are transported out of the office.)
CARTER: Right! (She looks at Daniel, who shrugs.)
COLSON INDUSTRIES. Colson is in his office with Vogler and the
staffer.
COLSON: Two o'clock, we go live with the pictures, pieces of the
alien ship, everything we've got.
VOGLER: Alec, they tried to *kill* us!
COLSON: You think that didn't work in our favour?
VOGLER: Dying doesn't work in our favour!
(At that moment, a transporter beam envelops Colson and he
disappears. Vogler and the staffer stand up, amazed.)
SGC. BRIEFING ROOM. Colson is transported in, with Thor beside
him. Colson looks around the room, then sees Thor beside him. He
backs away nervously.
COLSON: OK – what just happened?
(Sam and Daniel walk over.)
DANIEL: Well, in layman's terms, we beamed you up ... and then
down
again.
COLSON: Where am I?
CARTER: Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado. You know Daniel, of
course.
COLSON: Uh, yeah, hi. (They shake hands.) And (gesturing to Thor)
this is Thor.
THOR: Greetings.
COLSON: Oh, so this is a *real* one!
CARTER: Yep.
COLSON: What-what happened to the clone?
THOR: It will become a host to an Asgard consciousness whose physical
body is failing.
COLSON: OK.
THOR: Now I must take my leave. General O'Neill said he will see
you
all tomorrow. (He is transported out.)
CARTER (to Colson): I wanna show you something. (She goes to the
window of the briefing room, where the blast doors are closed. She
pushes a button and the blast doors lift to show the Gateroom.
Colson stands beside her, looking at the Gate. Sam turns to him.)
We call it a Stargate.
SGC. VIP QUARTERS. Colson is on the phone.
COLSON: I'm OK, Brian. I promise you, I'm fine. I'll be
back in a
couple of days. (Someone knocks on the door.) I've gotta go.
...
Alright, bye.
(As he hangs up, Sam comes in, geared up for Gate travel.)
CARTER: Ready?
COLSON: Woh – look at you!
CARTER: Yeah – Soldier Sam.
COLSON (noticing that Sam has another uniform tucked under her arm):
Ooh, I get a uniform too?
CARTER: Yep. (She tosses it to him.)
COLSON: Alright!
GATEROOM. The Gate is dialling. Sam is waiting at the bottom of the
ramp as Colson, geared up, comes in. The Gate whooshes and Colson
flinches back. Sam grins at him, then heads up the ramp. Colson
follows her, looking nervous.
COLSON: So, uh, where are we going?
CARTER: P4X-650. We have an offworld base there.
COLSON: And how far away is that? (He and Sam stop at the top of the
ramp.)
CARTER: Six hundred and forty light years.
COLSON: Really?!
CARTER: Let's go. (She takes his arm and walks him into the
event
horizon.)
P4X-650. Sam and Colson come through the Gate, which is inside a
concrete building. The Gate shuts down behind them. Colson turns to
look at the Gate behind him, then turns to Sam, trying to look
nonchalant.
COLSON: Didn't feel a thing.
CARTER: You were demolecularised.
(A man approaches them.)
SHEFIELD: Welcome to the Alpha site.
CARTER: Alec Colson, Captain Shefield.
COLSON: Hi. (They shake hands, then Colson looks around the
structure.) Well, it's-it's ... nice.
CARTER: Our last Alpha site was destroyed in an attack. We decided
to build this one inside a mountain like the SGC.
(The three of them walk across the room.)
SHEFIELD: This is all a bit spartan, but it's our home away from
home.
COLSON: I guess I was just expecting something a little bit more, uh,
I dunno ... other-worldly?
(Sam smiles as they reach a door. She takes out her card and swipes
it through the reader and the door slides open. Colson walks a few
steps, then stops and stares in amazement.)
COLSON: Oh! Now that ... that's more like it.
(In a hangar at the end of the building is an F-302.)
CARTER: It's called the F-302 – alien-human hybrid. (They
walk
towards it.)
COLSON: So this is what the MECs were for.
CARTER: Yeah – thanks to you it's capable of leaving the
atmosphere
*and* returning. We used a number of these to defend the Earth five
months ago. This is just one of the many advancements we've made
as
a result of technology procured through the Stargate. (Colson is
staring up at the F-302 in awe.) You wanna take a ride?
(Colson grins and nods.)
COLSON INDUSTRIES. Vogler is in Colson's office. The staffer
walks
in.
STAFFER: Brian, what are you doing?
VOGLER: Alec wants all the evidence that we have about the alien
cover-up duplicated and secured off-premises. You can get started on
whatever we have left on the clone research.
STAFFER: OK. (She leaves the room. Vogler's mobile phone rings.
He
answers it.)
VOGLER: Vogler. ... I told you, I don't *know* where he is. ... I
have a meeting with the SEC this afternoon. ... I understand. ...
Don't worry, it'll work. (He hangs up, looking worried.)
ALPHA SITE. The F-302 rolls out of the hangar, takes off, and climbs
steeply into the sky. Colson, in the rear seat, looks around.
COLSON: Beautiful!
CARTER: Yeah.
COLSON: Must be hard, keeping all this secret. I don't know how
you
do it.
CARTER: I think of all the fear it would cause, the potential chaos.
COLSON: Ah, but what about all the greater meaning you could bring to
people's lives, just knowing that all this is-is out here?
CARTER: What's *out* here is an enemy so advanced, so evil,
it's a
miracle we haven't been wiped out or enslaved yet. We've
been very
lucky so far. I think most people would have a hard time living with
the threat of constant impending doom.
COLSON: Oh, right, the old `if you had cancer' argument.
Would you
want to *know* you were gonna die, or would you rather live out your
final days in blissful ignorance?
CARTER: Yeah – I guess I don't really buy it either.
COLSON: Well, *I'd* rather know – try to cure it. If I
couldn't do
that, well, I'd try to make my final days as meaningful as
possible.
CARTER: You want a turn?
COLSON: I thought I was gonna have to ask!
CARTER (pressing some buttons): Switching to co-pilot control. Go
ahead – she's all yours.
(Colson starts flying the craft, and flips it right over in a full
circle.)
CARTER: So – what do you think?
COLSON: Amazing! She manoeuvres like an FA-22 and feels like a 747!
CARTER: Yeah, that's the inertial dampeners.
COLSON: Alright – let's try this. (He puts the craft into a
steep
nosedive. After several seconds alarms sound and a "Main Engine
Rocket Fuel Warning" comes up on Sam's screen.)
CARTER: Alec! (Colson continues to dive.) Alec, pull up! (Colson
ignores her. Sam punches button to regain pilot control, and starts
to pull the craft out of its dive. It levels out just in time,
skimming right over the top of a forest.)
VOICE ON RADIO: Flight, this is Alpha Command. Is everything OK up
there?
CARTER: It is now. We're fine. Bringing her back in. (She
throws a
black look over her shoulder, shakes her head and sighs.)
LATER. The F-302 taxis back into the hangar and stops. The canopy
opens. Colson takes his helmet off.
CARTER: Well, *that* was reckless.
COLSON: Ah, the 302 can handle it. (He pats the craft.) I know. I
may not have known its name but I helped you build it, remember?
CARTER (starting to get out of her seat): It was a joyride. I took
you up for a little fun.
COLSON: This isn't a *game*, Sam. What you guys are doing up
here –
this is life and death, for all of us.
CARTER: We *know* that.
COLSON: Wasn't much fun, feeling out of control like that, was it?
CARTER: You have to make your point with *my* life.
COLSON: Oh, come on, we were never gonna crash – unlike *my*
plane
back on Earth.
CARTER: I told you – we had nothing to do with it.
COLSON: Yeah, well, *someone* did. And if you think that – or
any of
this – is gonna prevent me from telling the world what they have
a
right to know, you're dead wrong.
ALPHA SITE GATEROOM. Colson is examining the Gate. Sam walks over.
CARTER: Alec, there's something else I need to talk to you about.
There's a clandestine group of private businessmen like yourself
who
were informed of the Stargate programme over six years ago by rogue
elements of the NID. We've tried to identify them and bring them
down but they are very highly connected. Former Vice President
Kinsey's been linked to them. Now, instead of going public like
you,
they've been funding various secret endeavours all aimed at
controlling alien technology for their own purposes.
COLSON: Which are?
CARTER: You'd have to ask *them*. Personal profit, or maybe they
think they can do a better job of defending the planet than we can.
COLSON: Why are you telling me all this?
CARTER: Because I'm guessing that's who tried to kill you.
They'll
never get control of the Gate if the world finds out.
COLSON: Hmm. (He sits down on the steps to the Gate. Sam joins
him.) When I was young, all I ever dreamed about was flying. I had
every make of aeroplane ever built hanging from my ceiling. And
then ... well, I take it you know about my wife and daughter. (Sam
nods.) One of the downsides of celebrity – we really do have no
secrets. Anyway, after the crash, I vowed to make flying as safe as
it possibly could be. I really thought that I could do it better
than anyone else.
CARTER: You *have* made a difference.
COLSON: But nothing's perfect, is it?
CARTER: No.
COLSON: Intergalactic travel; advanced alien civilisations; humans
living on other worlds. I do realise that there may be bad guys out
there too.
CARTER: You have no *idea* how bad.
COLSON: But in the end, we *have* to believe in humanity. I mean,
who knows, this might bring us all together as a planet.
CARTER: If we *knew* it would play out that way, then ... (She
trails off.)
COLSON: You're afraid that knowing about the Stargate would
fracture
the world more than it already is.
CARTER: Yeah. Not just stop us fighting the Goa'uld but end
things
for good. We've seen it happen on other planets like Earth. In
one
case, public revelation of the Stargate caused an apocalyptic world
war.
COLSON (laughing): Oh, that would be the ultimate irony, wouldn't
it?! You secretly save the world from destruction at the hands of
alien invaders, only for us to destroy ourselves out of fear, after
the fact.
CARTER: Change your mind?
COLSON: Not really. I don't think it would happen. (He stands
up
and walks to the Stargate, gesturing at it.) And if a truth of this
*magnitude*, about the very nature of human existence, could lead us
to destroy ourselves, then I'd say we would deserve it,
wouldn't you?
GATE TRAVEL.
SGC. BRIEFING ROOM. Daniel is watching Julia Donovan on the TV.
DONOVAN: Investigators now believe that Alec Colson created the alien
hoax in order to divert attention from his real corporate financial
problems. (Sam and Colson come into the room.) Colson, who has
still made no public statement ... (Daniel switches the TV off.)
COLSON: "Corporate financial problems." What's she
talking about?
DANIEL: The story broke about an hour ago. The President's
halted
trading on the markets. Your company stock had fallen eighty
percent; the Dow is down over five hundred points on the whole.
CARTER: What's going on?
DANIEL (to Colson): The SEC is investigating you for securities fraud.
COLSON: That's ridiculous!
DANIEL: They're saying there are irregularities in your
company's
last two financial statements.
COLSON: It's not true! (Sam looks at him.) Come on! The timing
of
this ... I'm being set up!
COLSON INDUSTRIES. Vogler is sitting in Colson's office,
drinking.
He finishes a glass and reaches to pour another as Colson and Sam
come in.
VOGLER (slightly slurred): What's she doing here?
COLSON: She wants to help, Brian.
VOGLER: Oh good! Why – does she have a time machine so we can go
back and undo everything?
COLSON: Brian. (He sits down.) Brian, what's going on?
VOGLER: You wouldn't listen. You wouldn't stop. (He stands
up and
moves away.)
COLSON: So you admit you did this?
VOGLER: Oh! (He gestures grandly.) You go off on your adventures,
you fly your planes, you drop by every now and then with a bright
idea. Ever since we were kids. You're always biting off more
than
you can chew ... and I'm always having to bail you out.
COLSON (standing up): So you doctored the books?!
VOGLER: I *had* to. I had to do *something*. I *told* you – we
were
over-extended; the stock price was the only thing keeping us afloat
and ... you wouldn't listen.
COLSON: No, I don't believe this.
VOGLER: Alec – who do you think told the SEC?
COLSON: Why? Why now? What difference could it make, Brian? Once
the truth came out ...
VOGLER: Alec, I almost died in that plane too! I still have a
family. They tried to kill us!
COLSON: Who?!
VOGLER: Did you really think that they were gonna let you tell a
secret like this?
COLSON: Brian! What are you talking about?
VOGLER: They call themselves the Trust. (Alec looks at Sam. Vogler
sinks down onto a sofa, tearful.) Look, all I know is, they're
very
powerful, and they think that Washington abdicated its duty to
protect the planet, maybe even caused the problem in the first
place. They see it as their responsibility to step in.
COLSON (sitting down): We can fix this.
VOGLER (whispering tearfully): It's too late – it's done.
It can't
be undone.
COLSON: Brian, we'll both go to jail.
VOGLER: Yeah, but my family will be safe.
COLSON: What about the rest of the people that work for this
company? What about *their* families?
VOGLER: Why weren't you thinking about them three days ago?
CARTER: How did they know? How did the people who threatened you
know that you'd cooked the books? How did they know that there
would
be enough to indict both you and Alec?
(Vogler looks at her, crying. Colson finally realises what Sam is
implying.)
COLSON (to Vogler): They got to you six months ago.
VOGLER: Alec, they knew what you had. Don't ask me how. They
had to
make sure they could stop you. You're wrong, Alec – true or
not,
this shouldn't come out. World's not ready.
COLSON (getting up and turning to Sam): There must be *something* we
can do.
CARTER: You signed false financial statements.
COLSON: No, I mean about the people who tried to kill us.
CARTER: All I know is that they operate above the law and that
they've threatened people's lives before.
COLSON: Then we have to bring them down.
CARTER: We've tried, believe me.
COLSON: Well, we have to try again. (He looks down at Vogler, who is
a picture of despair.)
SGC. Jack and SG-1 get out of an elevator.
CARTER: So Colson's convinced Vogler to arrange a meeting with
his
contact and wear a wire. Hopefully we'll get enough to connect
them
to the rogue NID and then flip them for someone bigger. We're co-
ordinating with Agent Barrett.
DANIEL: At the very least it may restore Colson's public image.
CARTER: Well, yeah, especially if it turns out that someone in direct
corporate competition with Colson Industries was pulling the
strings. (They go into Jack's office and sit down. Teal'c
perches
on the desk at the back of the room.) Unfortunately, without further
evidence, Brian Vogler's word alone isn't gonna be enough to
undo all
the damage already done to the company.
TEAL'C: What of Brian Vogler's safety?
CARTER: He's under close surveillance. His family's been
taken into
protective custody.
O'NEILL: Well – I guess the secret is safe ... again.
DANIEL: For now.
(Jack shrugs. His phone rings and he answers it.)
O'NEILL: O'Neill.
CARTER (to Daniel): You know, I wouldn't count Colson out just
yet.
He still feels really strongly that the world should know the truth.
O'NEILL (into the phone): Alright. Thank you. (He hangs up.)
Surveillance just found Brian Vogler dead in his bathroom.
CARTER: What? How?
O'NEILL: He hanged himself.
COLSON INDUSTRIES. Sam walks into Colson's office. He is
sitting on
the sofa holding a pistol in his lap.
CARTER: Alec. (She sees what he's holding and walks cautiously
forward and sits down next to him.) I'm so sorry about Brian.
COLSON: I killed him. (He lifts the pistol.) Might as well have put
the gun against his head and pulled the trigger myself.
CARTER: You couldn't have known.
COLSON: You saw how scared he was. I know what his family meant to
him. He was never going to do anything to put them in any danger.
CARTER (nervously eyeing the pistol): Alec ...
COLSON: He was my best friend.
CARTER: He betrayed you.
COLSON: No! I betrayed *him*. (He emphasises the last word with the
pistol. Sam flinches back.)
CARTER: Why don't you put the gun down?
(Colson looks at the pistol and sighs, then looks at Sam.)
COLSON: My life's over, Sam. Everything I worked for, everything
I
believed in, held to be true ...
CARTER: ... still exists. Apparently Congress is looking into
providing relief. The companies, the employees, *will* survive.
COLSON: While I go to jail for something I didn't do?!
CARTER: Back on the Alpha site you said, no matter what, you would
rather make whatever time you had left meaningful. I'm here to
give
you that chance.
COLSON: How? By making all the indictments against me just ...
disappear?
CARTER: I was thinking more along the lines of making *you* disappear.
COLSON: Problem with a guy like me – no place on Earth I can hide.
CARTER: Who's talking about Earth?
(Colson looks at her.)
COLSON: Oh, no. No, I couldn't let you do that.
CARTER: Believe me, I wouldn't be here without the approval of my
superiors. Now, the President wasn't responsible for what
happened
to you but he's also not sorry that you were publicly
discredited.
(Colson looks away, unsure.) Please, Alec, come with me. You can
still make a difference. He who fights and runs away ...
(Colson chuckles briefly, then looks down at the pistol. After a
moment, he puts the pistol down.)
COLSON: ... lives to fight another day. (Sam nods. He chuckles
again.) And no-one will ever know.
CARTER (smiling sympathetically): Welcome to my world.