GOA'ULD SPACE STATION (last seen in "Summit" and
"Last Stand"). A
female Goa'uld stands in the conference room addressing Lord Yu
and
two other male System Lords. Oshu, Yu's First Prime, stands at
Yu's
side.
GOA'ULD: The System Lords are no longer. You have become a
meaningless coalition that cannot resist the power of my master, Lord
Ba'al.
(Yu whispers to Oshu, who then delivers Yu's message.)
OSHU: Your master has no honour. The System Lords have not weakened
in their resolve.
GOA'ULD: The Jaffa are weak-willed and fallible. Is it any
wonder
they've begun to doubt their faith in the gods? So many
Goa'uld have
fallen.
OSHU: Ba'al was wise to send a representative.
YU: I would have killed him with my own hands!
GOA'ULD: Despite your ill will, Lord Ba'al wishes to extend a
most
generous offer. In exchange for your surrender, Ba'al will allow
you
to keep your armies and continue to administrate your territories
under his authority. You will be permitted to live, so long as you
bow before him as the supreme commander of the entire Goa'uld
domain. (Yu looks furious at this offer.) Refusal to accept the
terms of this offer will result in the resumption of hostilities, and
ultimately your death. (A Jaffa hurries in and stands by the female
Goa'uld's side, waiting to give her a message. She leans
towards him
and he whispers in her ear.) Bring her.
YU: What is the meaning of this?
GOA'ULD: I should ask you the same thing.
(Two super-soldiers escort Sam Carter into the room. She is wearing
a jacket – rather more ornate than the usual Air Force jackets
– with
SGC patches on the sleeves.)
GOA'ULD: Major Samantha Carter.
CARTER: Actually, I'm a colonel now.
(The super-soldiers push her to her knees.)
GOA'ULD: Her cargo ship was intercepted by my sentries when it
violated the proximity zone around this station. (She looks at Yu.)
I am well aware of your past relationship with SG-1 and the
Tau'ri.
Would you have me believe that her sudden appearance here is nothing
more than mere coincidence?
(Yu gets to his feet and approaches Sam.)
YU: What are you doing here?
(With no warning, Sam plunges a sword through Yu's chest. As he
collapses to the ground, the others stare in disbelief. Sam gets to
her feet and we see that the sword is growing straight out of her
arm. She's the RepliCarter. Yu's blood covers the sword.
She walks
towards the female Goa'uld.)
(Outside the space station, the Replicator ship is approaching.)
SPACE. A Goa'uld mothership is in orbit around a planet. Inside
the
ship, Bra'tac is on the pel'tak. Teal'c, Sam and Daniel
come to join
him.
TEAL'C: They are late.
DANIEL: Or they're not coming.
TEAL'C: Were that the case, Rak'nor would have sent word.
BRA'TAC: If he were able to do so.
CARTER: Maybe we should reconsider the mission.
TEAL'C: This is not an SGC mission. Reconsidering is not an
option.
DANIEL: Look, I know the timing of these first few surprise attacks
is crucial, but ...
CARTER: ... and we're just here as observers, but right now
I'm
observing the fact that if you take on one of Amateratsu's
motherships without proper backup, you could get yourself killed.
DANIEL: Us observers too!
BRA'TAC: Many such attacks have been co-ordinated simultaneously
across the galaxy – each one designed to create a strategic
weakness
in the forces of the System Lords.
DANIEL: And if even one fails ... I know!
TEAL'C: The rebel Jaffa have gone to great lengths to acquire the
security codes currently being used by the System Lords. If all goes
according to plan, they will believe we are allies and lower the
shields.
DANIEL: *If* all goes according to plan.
TEAL'C: Once the shields are lowered, the Jaffa contingent aboard
this vessel should be sufficient to overwhelm any initial resistance
we may encounter.
BRA'TAC: We have allies within the ranks of Amateratsu's
Jaffa who
will also help facilitate our attacks. Once the others witness the
death of their false god, they will realise the truth and join our
ranks.
CARTER: Isn't the fact that we haven't heard from Rak'nor
kind of a
bad sign?
(Bra'tac and Teal'c look at each other. At that moment
read-outs
appear superimposed over the viewscreen and beeping can be heard.)
DANIEL: What is it?
BRA'TAC: Ship's sensors have detected a vessel closing in on
our
position. (The read-out changes to show the ship.) Ha'tak class.
DANIEL: Rak'nor?
TEAL'C: Unlikely. Rak'nor would have hailed long before his
approach.
CARTER: Then it has to be Amateratsu. Shouldn't we get outta
here?
(Bra'tac and Teal'c look at each other again. Clearly they
are
reluctant to retreat.)
DANIEL: Teal'c, the odds are not in our favour.
TEAL'C: They never are, Daniel Jackson.
(Daniel shrugs in agreement. Outside the ship, the ha'tak gets
closer.)
BRA'TAC: I am hailing them and transmitting the security codes.
(After a moment, the ship jolts.) They have fired on us. (The ship
jolts again.) Shield strength is down sixty percent.
TEAL'C: How is that possible?
CARTER: What the hell did they hit us with?
(Teal'c goes to the weapons console.)
TEAL'C: Returning fire. (He fires on the ha'tak, but it is
undamaged.) Our weapons are ineffective.
(The ship jolts again.)
BRA'TAC: We have lost shields.
CARTER: *Now* can we get out of here?
BRA'TAC: Navigational controls are not responding. We must
evacuate.
DANIEL: Glider bay?
TEAL'C: We can use the rings to transport to the planet below and
escape through the Stargate.
(They head off towards the ring room. As they're walking along a
corridor, Teal'c hears something and raises his hand to stop the
others.)
CARTER: What is it?
(Up ahead of them, a door opens and a lot of Replicator bugs come
scampering through.)
DANIEL: That's not good.
TEAL'C: This way.
(He leads them off in another direction. The Replicators follow.
Sam and Daniel stop to fire at them but their bullets have no
effect. We see a Replicator's eye view of Daniel. The view
homes in
on him, and then an Asgard-type transporter beam whisks him away.)
CARTER: Daniel!
TEAL'C: Colonel Carter. (He, Sam and Bra'tac hurry away.)
SGC. GATEROOM. Jacob Carter comes through the Stargate. As he
walks down the ramp, Jack comes into the Gateroom with his arms wide.
O'NEILL: Jacob!
JACOB: Jack, we got a problem. We need to talk.
O'NEILL: Hi! Hello! How are ya?! Long time no see! What's
doin'?! What's up?! Hey, buddy!
JACOB: I'm sorry, Jack. It's good to see you again.
Congratulations
on your promotion. (He offers Jack his hand.)
O'NEILL (shaking his hand): Thanks!
JACOB: You deserve it.
O'NEILL: Yes, well. What's up?
JACOB: The Replicators – they've launched an all-out attack
on the
Goa'uld. If the Goa'uld can't find a way to stop them,
the
Replicators will easily overrun our galaxy in a matter of weeks.
O'NEILL: Why didn't you say so?
(Jacob tilts his head in an "I think I just did!" kind of
way, then
turns and walks out of the Gateroom. Jack hurries along behind him.)
O'NEILL: I'm sorry. You said we had a "problem", not
a big galactic
emergency!
SGC. LAB. Jacob is working at a console while Jack stands nearby,
playing with a device that Jacob must have given him to hold. An SGC
technician brings something over to Jacob.
JACOB: Our operatives have spent the past several years tagging as
many Goa'uld ships as possible in an effort to track their
movements. Today we have beacons on more than a hundred motherships
transmitting their location via subspace to an encoded Tok'Ra
network.
O'NEILL (holding up the device): And this?
JACOB: It's a receiver that will allow me to tap into the
subspace
network. We can keep tabs on Ba'al's fleet, see how their
battle
with the Replicators is faring; we can also get up to the minute
Tok'Ra intelligence reports from our agents in the field.
O'NEILL (handing Jacob the receiver): You know, we could have
used
something like this a long time ago.
JACOB: The High Council never thought they could trust you with it.
O'NEILL: What changed their mind?
JACOB: Nothing. They don't know I took it.
O'NEILL: Ah!
(Jacob attaches a lead to the receiver.)
JACOB: My relationship with the Council's still a little strained.
O'NEILL: It's not gonna get any better if you keep stealing
stuff.
(Jacob looks at him. Jack puts a hand on his shoulder.) No
complaints! I'll take anything I can get: weapons, receivers,
silverware ...
(Jacob finishes linking the receiver in with the SGC computers. A
star map comes up on a screen on the wall showing many red dots.)
JACOB: Each dot represents a Goa'uld ship.
O'NEILL: That's a lot of dots.
JACOB: That's just one small quadrant of the galaxy. (He types.)
Watch.
(The map zooms out, then homes in on another area. Again, the
Goa'uld ships are marked by red dots. As they watch, one of the
dots
flashes for a couple of seconds, then goes out. The message
"lost
signal" appears next to where the dot was. Immediately, a second
dot
flashes and then goes out, replaced with the message "lost
signal".)
O'NEILL: What just happened?
JACOB: The beacons stopped transmitting their signals, likely meaning
those ships were either destroyed or taken over by the Replicators.
(On the screen, another ship's beacon is lost.) Battles like the
ones you just witnessed are taking place across the galaxy. Several
Goa'uld territories are now entirely in Replicator hands.
(Another
ship disappears off the screen.) As I said, given the progress of
these battles, the Goa'uld will be wiped out in a matter of
weeks.
(Another ship disappears.)
O'NEILL: Y'know, I have to admit, I have some mixed feelings
about
this.
JACOB: Well, we all wanna see the Goa'uld's stranglehold on
the
galaxy broken, (another ship disappears) but not if they're just
gonna be replaced by something worse.
(Alarms sound.)
HARRIMAN (over tannoy): Unscheduled offworld activation!
(Jacob and Jack leave the lab.)
GATEROOM. Sam, Teal'c and Bra'tac come through the Gate as
Jacob and
Jack enter.
CARTER: Dad!
JACOB: Hey, kid. (He kisses her as she reaches the bottom of the
ramp.)
O'NEILL: So ... what the heck happened? Didn't you guys have
a
ship? (The Gate closes down.) And by the way, where's Daniel?
BRA'TAC: He was beamed away before our very eyes.
TEAL'C: By Replicators.
JACOB: Just Daniel?
CARTER: There's only one reason I can think of: my duplicate.
She
knows the greatest threat the Replicators have ever known is the
disrupter technology that you built (looking at Jack) using Ancient
knowledge.
O'NEILL: So? She's immune to that now.
CARTER: Yes, but Replicators always seek out the most advanced
technology. She may be worried that there's other Ancient
technology
out there that could be a threat to her and the rest of the
Replicators.
TEAL'C: Daniel Jackson had access to the knowledge of the
Ancients
when he was ascended.
JACOB: I thought he didn't retain those memories?
CARTER: We don't know that for sure. Daniel *has* remembered
certain
things from when he was ascended. She may think that everything she
needs to know about the Ancients is buried in his subconscious. If
it is, she'll find it.
O'NEILL: Oy!
LATER. BRIEFING ROOM.
JACOB: The Tok'Ra have operatives in Ba'al's inner
circle, including
one of his high-ranking lieutenants. According to the latest
intelligence, the ranks of the Jaffa rebellion are re-pledging their
loyalty to the Goa'uld by the thousands.
CARTER: But the Goa'uld are losing the war.
O'NEILL: Yeah. You'd think that'd make `em look
weaker.
BRA'TAC: The Jaffa have never seen the likes of such creatures.
Many
could see these Replicators as a plague, an evil punishment brought
upon all for daring to stray in their beliefs and betray their gods.
TEAL'C: This situation has dealt the Jaffa rebellion a serious
blow.
Even if we were to somehow defeat the Replicators, the Goa'uld
would
undoubtedly take credit, thereby solidifying Jaffa loyalty as well as
their belief in the Goa'uld as gods.
O'NEILL: I think the key phrase in there was "somehow defeat
the
Replicators".
CARTER: We haven't had much luck, sir. The inert Replicator
cells
left behind by my duplicate haven't given us any clues as to how
to
fight the immunity she's developed. As far as I know, Thor
hasn't
made much progress in modifying the disrupter technology either.
O'NEILL: Well, let him know what's goin' on ... (he
stands up and
starts to walk towards his office) ... and don't be afraid to
remind
him that we've saved his cute little grey bum several times.
TEAL'C'S QUARTERS. Bra'tac is gazing into a lit candle.
BRA'TAC: Years of effort, all but undone in a matter of days. It
will now be almost impossible to turn so many of our brothers back to
our cause. (He turns to face Teal'c, who does not look so
concerned.)
TEAL'C: Perhaps – yet there may be a way.
BRA'TAC: Even if we can, I wonder: will it make a difference?
These
machines are unlike anything I have seen.
TEAL'C: We must proceed in the belief that Colonel Carter and
Thor
will devise a means to destroy the Replicators.
BRA'TAC: How then can we prevent the Goa'uld from taking
credit and
solidifying their position as gods in the eyes of all Jaffa?
TEAL'C: We must act now, before this conflict is resolved; win
back
the hearts and minds of those who waver before they are lost to us.
We must once and for all destroy the Goa'uld image as gods
forever.
BRA'TAC: How?
TEAL'C: By capturing the temple at Ta'kara. (Bra'tac
stares at him
in amazement.) Everything we have fought for hangs in the balance.
BRA'TAC: Yes. But Ta'kara?!
TEAL'C: Capture it, and never again will a Jaffa worship a false
god.
JACK'S OFFICE. Jack is sitting at his desk. Sam comes to the
door.
CARTER: Sir. (She walks into the room.) I'm sorry to bother you
but ...
O'NEILL: I'm only gonna say this once, Carter: what happened
to
Daniel was not your fault.
CARTER: She knows he may hold key Ancient knowledge because of me.
She's *out* there because of me. I basically gave her the means
to
counter the only effective weapon we have against her.
O'NEILL: I also gave you permission to work with her. It's
not gonna
change anything. (Sam looks down. Jack looks at her for a moment.)
Unless you're suggesting we use that time machine to go back and
fix
it?
CARTER (looking up again): No, sir. We all agreed we would never do
that. I mean, for all we know, it could just make things worse.
(Walter taps on the door.)
HARRIMAN: Sir, we're receiving a message from Thor. He said
he's
ready to trans...
(An Asgard transporter beam envelops Sam and whisks her away.)
O'NEILL (to Walter): You were saying?
HARRIMAN (smiling ruefully): Never mind. (He turns and walks away.)
ASGARD SHIP (presumably the Daniel Jackson.) Sam is transported into
a lab on the ship.
THOR: Hello again, Samantha Carter.
CARTER (waving to him): Hi, Thor.
THOR: I have already transported your research and the remains of the
human form Replicator to this lab. We may continue our work from
here.
CARTER: Any progress on your end?
THOR: I have yet to isolate the cipher the human form Replicator
introduced to render the disrupter weapon ineffective.
(Sam is standing in front of a small table which has the remains of
the RepliCarter's arm on it.)
CARTER: Well, given the situation, I think it's time to take more
drastic steps.
THOR: You are suggesting we attempt to trigger a subspace connection
between the remains of the arm and the rest of the Replicators so
that we may search for the cipher among their communications data.
CARTER: Too wild and crazy?
THOR: In order to do that, we must reactivate the cells.
CARTER: I know.
(Thor activates his console, and a beam starts to play over the
Replicator cells.)
SGC. JACK'S OFFICE. Teal'c and Bra'tac have come in to
talk to Jack.
O'NEILL: What makes this place so special?
TEAL'C: The temple at Ta'kara is sacred to all Jaffa.
BRA'TAC: It is rich in historical significance. Legend tells it
is
the place where Anubis rose from the dead.
TEAL'C: It is also the site of the first prim'ta ritual.
BRA'TAC: It is that rite of passage that has bonded us in
servitude
ever since. For thousands of years, the Jaffa have viewed
Ta'kara as
the holiest of sites – the very cradle of our existence. It is
the
place where the Goa'uld first gave Jaffa their strength and
longevity.
O'NEILL: And you *really* think this place is gonna make a
difference?
BRA'TAC: Seizing control of the temple there would prove beyond a
shadow of a doubt the Goa'uld do not possess the power of the
gods.
TEAL'C: Even the most stubborn Jaffa would have to question his
loyalty to the Goa'uld.
O'NEILL: There has to be a catch, or you guys would have done
this a
long time ago.
BRA'TAC: Ta'kara is deep within Ba'al's territory and
under normal
circumstances it is heavily guarded. However, with Ba'al's
forces
deployed throughout the galaxy battling the Replicators, the temple
is more vulnerable now than it has ever been.
TEAL'C: Still, our success depends on the element of surprise and
the
use of the entire rebel fleet.
(Jack shakes his head doubtfully.)
BRA'TAC: Listen to me, O'Neill. This war must be fought on
two
fronts. We will reignite the uprising and conquer our oppressors
while you find the means to stop these Replicators. (Jack still
looks doubtful. Bra'tac leans forward to make his point.) Let
us
each fight the enemy we know best.
SPACE. REPLICATOR SHIP. Daniel, disarmed, is wandering around a
room lined with Replicator blocks. After a while, the RepliCarter
appears.
REPLICARTER: Hello, Daniel.
DANIEL: What the hell do *you* want?
REPLICARTER: You have information that I need. (She starts to walk
towards him.)
DANIEL: OK, what do you want to know?
REPLICARTER: I'm afraid it's not that simple.
(She continues to walk towards him. He starts to back away from her.)
DANIEL: No, no, it *is* that simple ... (He reaches the wall and
flattens himself against it as the RepliCarter gets closer) ...
although, if it's all the same with you, I'd rather not do
the hand
in the head thing, so, uh ... (She looks at him.) Honestly,
I'll
tell you whatever you wanna know.
REPLICARTER: Honesty is not the problem.
(Some of the Replicator blocks in the wall reach out and clamp around
Daniel's wrists. More blocks imprison his ankles.)
REPLICARTER: Unfortunately, to get what I need, we're going to
have
to dig a little deeper.
(More blocks come out of the wall around Daniel's head, holding
it
fixed in one position.)
REPLICARTER: Shall we begin?
CHULAK. In a tent outside the town, Teal'c and Bra'tac are
meeting
with a group of rebel Jaffa, including Aron, last seen
in "Sacrifices".
ARON: What you're proposing is madness. Ta'kara cannot be
taken.
(Teal'c walks towards Aron angrily. Bra'tac holds up a fist
against
Teal'c's chest to prevent him from getting any closer, then
turns to
another Jaffa.)
TEAL'C: Tolok – you have not spoken.
TOLOK: Aron is right. We would be sacrificing countless men and
ships on a fruitless mission. We *should* be concentrating on the
greater threat, the Replicators, before they destroy us all.
TEAL'C: Jaffa – hear me. I have engaged the Replicators in
battle
many times. Believe me when I say they cannot be defeated by
conventional means.
ARON: You have faced them in the past and won.
TEAL'C: Indeed, yet never in such numbers. Those of you who
choose
to engage the Replicators in battle will not survive.
BRA'TAC: Teal'c is right. We must fight only those battles
we know
we can win.
TOLOK: Yet you propose an equally impossible task.
BRA'TAC: With Ba'al otherwise occupied, now is the time to
strike.
TOLOK: No free Jaffa has ever set foot in the temple and lived.
BRA'TAC: Then that is precisely why we must go there. If we
succeed,
many will rejoin our cause.
ARON: *If* we succeed.
TEAL'C: Were the circumstances different, I may feel the same as
you,
brother, but the situation has changed. We must act now, or our
children will know no future, let alone the taste of freedom.
TOLOK: Teal'c, I believe there is wisdom in these words.
However,
you are aware that if we fail, it would effectively mean the end of
the rebellion. Are you prepared to risk our entire cause on this one
action?
TEAL'C: Indeed I am.
BRA'TAC: So – what say you?
(Tolok thinks about it for a moment, then raises his head.)
TOLOK: I say we take Ta'kara!
ARON: So be it.
SGC. LAB. On the screen monitoring the Goa'uld/Replicator
battle,
another Goa'uld ship's signal flickers and disappears. Jacob
is
again sitting at the computer while Jack stands next to him.
JACOB: Five more regions belonging to Ba'al have fallen in the
past
twenty-four hours.
O'NEILL: He's not putting up much of a fight, is he?
JACOB: No, he's making a typical Goa'uld mistake. He's
defending
territory at the expense of resources. (He sighs.) We can send him
a message through the undercover Tok'Ra in his midst. We could
suggest a change in strategy.
O'NEILL: Like what?
JACOB: Typically, the Replicators are patient and slow-moving when
not being engaged. If Ba'al stops aggressively fighting them and
pulls back, it may give Sam more time to come up with the solution.
O'NEILL: Forget *that*!
(Jacob gestures at the screen as another red dot flashes and goes
out.)
JACOB: Look – there goes another one. (He turns to Jack, then
stands
up to face him.) Jack – he's thinking like a System Lord
defending
himself against another Goa'uld. He doesn't know what
he's dealing
with.
O'NEILL: And if he retreats, where d'you think he's gonna
fall back
to?
JACOB: You're worried about Teal'c and the rebel Jaffa.
O'NEILL: They're counting on Ba'al's fleet being too
busy to even
care about anything else.
JACOB: The Jaffa rebellion has already failed. We can't risk the
fate of the galaxy on one long-shot chance to revive it.
O'NEILL (looking at him suspiciously): Is that Jacob talking, or
is
that Selmak?
JACOB: Jack, I'm sorry, but the more ships Ba'al sends out to
fight,
the faster the Replicators assimilate them into their own armada.
Their numbers are growing exponentially. If we don't do
something
about it, by the time we *do* come up with a weapon to use against
them, it may be too late.
(Alarms sound.)
HARRIMAN (over tannoy): Unscheduled offworld activation.
(Jack and Jacob leave the room.)
CONTROL ROOM. Jack and Jacob come in.
O'NEILL: Now what have you got, Walter?
HARRIMAN: Some kind of ...
(At that moment, a hologram of Ba'al appears on the ramp in the
Gateroom. The SFs raise their weapons.)
O'NEILL: Oh! Ba'al! (He heads down to the Gateroom,
followed by
Jacob, and addresses the troops.) Stand down, boys. (He walks over
to face the hologram.) Ba'al, buddy! We were just talkin'
about
you – all good! (He smiles mock-sweetly.)
BA'AL: By now you are aware of the Replicator threat to our
galaxy
and that my fleet has engaged them in battle.
O'NEILL: There's been a little chit (he turns to Jacob) *and*
chat
around the watercooler. (He smiles sarcastically at Ba'al.)
How's
that goin'?
BA'AL: We are holding them at bay for the moment. However, they
are
a more formidable force than I first anticipated.
O'NEILL: Yeah. Pesky little buggers, aren't they?
BA'AL: I am aware that the Asgard have previously fought the
Replicators effectively.
O'NEILL: More or less. I don't like to toot my own horn but
...
BA'AL: I am aware that you assisted the Asgard. (He looks at
Jack.
Jack gazes back at him.)
O'NEILL: Yes?
BA'AL: I wish to know what means you possess to fight this
scourge.
(Jack tilts his head, smiling slightly.)
O'NEILL: I'm sorry – we must have had a bad connection
there for a
second. It almost sounded like you were asking me for *help*!
BA'AL: The Replicators are a threat to everyone, including the
countless humans who populate worlds throughout this galaxy. Now, I
propose that we work together to defeat our common enemy.
O'NEILL (to Jacob): My – this *is* an occasion! (He turns to
Ba'al.) You know that bitter taste in your throat, it's kind
of
wrapped around your uvula? That's what's left of your pride.
BA'AL: Perhaps you could curb your amusement for a moment.
JACOB: If we're going to work together, the first thing we should
discuss is strategy. Now, your attempts at meeting the Replicators
head-on are only going to result ...
O'NEILL (holding up his hand and talking over him): Jacob. J-J-
Jacob. I got it. (He turns to Ba'al.) I've got a better
idea.
Instead of helping you, why don't we sit back and watch you get
your
ass kicked? (He smiles smugly.) That way, you'll be dead, and
we'll
be glad!
BA'AL: You cannot be serious.
O'NEILL: Yes I can. I just choose not to some of the time. (He
grins.)
BA'AL: With your insolence you're dooming not just your world
but all
of humanity.
O'NEILL: I think big!
(Ba'al's hologram disappears. Jacob walks round to face
Jack.)
JACOB: What the hell was that?
O'NEILL: I'm sorry, Jacob, but I'm just not quite ready
to sacrifice
Teal'c. (He walks away.)
THE DANIEL JACKSON. The beam continues to play over the Replicator
cells until they melt into a liquid form.
THOR: The process is complete. Now we must re-establish the subspace
link between these cells and the rest of the Replicators.
CARTER: What if they receive instructions?
THOR: It is a risk we will have to take. I will only maintain the
link for microseconds at a time. It will slow the process, but I do
not believe we have a choice.
(He activates a beam onto the Replicator cells for a couple of
seconds. As it fades, Sam looks at the screen behind Thor.)
CARTER: What did we get?
THOR: I am processing the data now. (A star map appears on the
screen, covered with blue dots.) I believe we have pinpointed the
location of the Replicators within this galaxy.
(Sam stares at the map.)
CARTER: They're everywhere!
HYPERSPACE. The rebel fleet of motherships is making its way towards
Ta'kara. On Bra'tac's ship, Aron is manning the weapons
console.
BRA'TAC: We are approaching Ta'kara. Defences?
TEAL'C: I am reading only a single ha'tak class vessel in
orbit
around the planet.
BRA'TAC: Ba'al must indeed be desperate. There are normally
a dozen
ships patrolling this system.
ARON: Then we may yet succeed.
TA'KARA. As the single mothership patrols around the planet, the
three rebel motherships come out of hyperspace.
BRA'TAC: We are in position.
ARON: Gliders are ready for launch.
TEAL'C: We are being hailed.
JAFFA (over comms): You have encroached on the domain of Lord
Ba'al.
Identify yourselves immediately.
TEAL'C: Shal'kek nem'ron. (There is no response.) You
are greatly
outnumbered. Surrender now or be destroyed.
VIS UBAN (or, rather, the planet that Jonas mistakenly identified as
Vis Uban in "Fallen"). Daniel is in the tent that he lived
in after
he descended. Candles are lit all around the tent. He is wearing
the same blue robe he wore while on the planet. He looks around,
puzzled. A woman's voice speaks.
WOMAN: They called you Arom, did they not ... (Daniel turns to see
Oma Desala, wearing a light blue hooded robe, standing behind
him) ... after you returned to your plane of existence?
(Daniel smiles.)
DANIEL: Oma!
(Oma removes her hood.)
OMA: Daniel, it is good to see you again.
DANIEL: I don't understand. Last thing I remember ...
OMA: You are still on the ship. The human form Replicator is
attempting to probe your mind as we speak.
DANIEL: So why are you here?
OMA: Because when she is done, she will destroy you, and when that
time comes, you will be faced with a choice.
GOA'ULD PLANET. Ba'al walks into a throneroom. There is a
Goa'uld
sitting on the throne, mostly obscured by a dark robe and hood.
BA'AL: I have received word from the battle. The bulk of the
fleet
continues to engage the Replicators as you have ordered. However, I
believe it would be wise to pull our forces back. If we stop
confronting the enemy on so wide a front, it may slow their advance
and allow us a chance to mount a proper defence.
(As Ba'al speaks, we see that the hands of the Goa'uld
sitting on the
throne are covered with lesions.)
GOA'ULD: You doubt my power.
BA'AL: Of course not. But your fleet is falling into their hands
rapidly. Not even the Kull warriors ...
(The Goa'uld raises his head and we see that his face is also
covered
with lesions.)
GOA'ULD: Do not concern yourself. (He turns his head towards
Ba'al –
his eyes are bloodshot and his face is a mess. It's Anubis.)
When
the time is right, I promise you, this nuisance will be dealt with.
Trust in me.
(Ba'al tries to hide a grimace.)
BA'AL: As always.
SGC. CONTROL ROOM. Sam is reporting to Jack and Jacob on a video
link from the Daniel Jackson.
CARTER: It took several hundred microsecond-long connections and
hours to go through each subsequent burst of data but eventually we
managed to isolate the cipher that makes the Replicators immune to
the disrupter and we've adjusted it accordingly.
(Jacob smiles and looks round at Jack, who is looking confused.)
JACOB: The weapon works again.
(Jack turns to the video screen.)
O'NEILL: Good job!
CARTER: It was an incredibly risky thing to do, sir, and as it
stands, we still don't know if we were detected, and of course
the
altered disrupter still needs to be tested under battle conditions.
O'NEILL: Got a plan?
CARTER: Thor was able to ascertain the various positions of the fleet
now controlled by the Replicators. We're going to engage a few
isolated ships.
JACOB: Be careful, Sam.
O'NEILL: Good luck.
CARTER: Thank you, sir.
(The transmission ends.)
JACOB: Never a dull moment.
DANIEL'S TENT.
DANIEL: So you're here to offer me the opportunity to ascend
again.
OMA: If that is what you wish.
DANIEL: What I wish? What are my options?
OMA: Personally, I would choose eternal enlightenment rather than the
alternative.
DANIEL: If it were only that simple.
OMA: I admit, the decision is not as easy as it appears. The last
time, for you, the experience was challenging at the best of times.
DANIEL: Unfortunately I don't have any memories of the last time
I
was ascended. How can I make an informed decision if I don't
remember what it was like?
OMA: Daniel, I did not take your memories from you.
DANIEL: You think I haven't tried to remember? Tell me how.
OMA: I can't.
DANIEL: Then tell me what I need to know.
OMA: If you are seeking an absolute truth, you will not find it.
Only truth that applies to you.
DANIEL: That is so extremely unhelpful.
OMA: When the time comes, you *will* know.
DANIEL: What if Replicator Carter finds what it is she's looking
for?
OMA: There is that possibility.
DANIEL: You have to stop her.
OMA: I can't.
DANIEL: Why not? Offer me ascension now!
OMA: You're not dead yet. All I can do is prepare you – help
you to
find your path to enlightenment, when that time comes, if that is
what you decide you want.
DANIEL: There's a way to defeat the Replicators hidden somewhere
within my memories, isn't there?
OMA: You need only to open your mind to it.
(Daniel frowns.)
TA'KARA. We see an overhead shot of the temple area. Then we go
down to the temple itself. The rebel Jaffa have overwhelmed the
Jaffa defending the temple. Bra'tac is addressing the captured
Jaffa.
BRA'TAC: Brothers! All of you will be detained. Have patience.
(He
puts his hand on the shoulder of one of the captured Jaffa.) For all
of you who renounce the Goa'uld as false gods will one day be
free.
(To the rebel Jaffa) Take them. (To the captured Jaffa) Go. You
will not be harmed.
(The captured Jaffa are led away. Teal'c and Aron come over to
join
Bra'tac. Teal'c smiles.)
ARON: The last of the garrison have surrendered. The temple is
secure.
BRA'TAC: Many lives were spared today. (He clasps
Teal'c's arm.)
Well done.
(Teal'c bows his head in acknowledgement.)
SPACE. The Daniel Jackson comes out of hyperspace and approaches a
Replicator-infested mothership.
THOR: Firing weapon.
(His screen shows the beam from the disrupter flying towards the
mothership. Inside the mothership, Replicator bugs are crawling all
over the place. As the beam sweeps through the ship, the Replicators
disintegrate.)
THOR: The ship's systems have shut down.
CARTER: That worked well.
THOR: The weapon appears to be effective.
(The screen shows a second ship appearing behind them.)
CARTER: Another ship.
THOR: They are firing on us. (The ship jolts.) Targeting the second
ship.
(As the second mothership fires again on the Daniel Jackson, the
disrupter beam envelops the mothership. However, it continues
firing.)
CARTER: It's still coming!
THOR: They have adapted themselves to our modifications.
CARTER: That was fast!
THOR: Yes. (The ship jolts again.) Initiating evasive action.
(The Daniel Jackson goes into hyperspace.)
GOA'ULD PLANET. Ba'al comes into the throneroom to find
Anubis
facing two super-soldiers holding a male human slave between them.
BA'AL: Excuse the intrusion. I will return. (He turns to leave.)
ANUBIS: Stay.
(Ba'al turns back and waits. The slave glances at Ba'al
pleadingly.
Anubis' current host body tilts his head back as the black cloud
that
is Anubis comes out of him. The host collapses to the ground as the
cloud plunges into the slave. As it takes possession of the slave,
he throws off the grasp of the super-soldiers, who pick up the dead
body of the previous host and drag it away. Anubis walks over to a
window to admire his new reflection.)
ANUBIS (to Ba'al): Speak.
BA'AL: A force of rebel Jaffa have managed to take control of the
temple at Ta'kara.
ANUBIS: As I hoped. They have no doubt gathered their full force and
presented us with the perfect opportunity to annihilate them once and
for all. Have the fleet disengage their battle with the Replicators
and move on Ta'kara. Take it back at all costs. Leave no
survivors.
BA'AL: As you wish. (He turns, not looking too pleased at his
instructions, and walks away.)
DANIEL'S TENT.
OMA: You control the barrier between your consciousness and what you
seek. You merely need to open your mind. The truth is, all
knowledge, everything that is and was and will be, is everywhere
–
out there, and in all of us.
DANIEL (smiling): If you immediately know the candlelight is fire,
then the meal was cooked a long time ago.
(Oma blinks a couple of times, apparently baffled by the statement.)
OMA: Yes. (She smiles rather falsely.)
DANIEL: No. You're trying to understand it, aren't you?
OMA: It means what you want it to mean.
DANIEL: No it doesn't – and you're not Oma.
(Oma transforms into the RepliCarter.)
REPLICARTER: No, I'm not, but it doesn't matter. Thanks to
you, I
found what I was looking for.
HYPERSPACE. THE DANIEL JACKSON.
THOR: We are approaching Earth. We will be there shortly.
(Controls and lights start to flicker and go off.)
CARTER: What's wrong?
THOR: Several of my key systems are no longer responding. (He calls
up an image of the ship on the viewscreen. Several parts of the
image turn red.) We have been boarded.
(The ship comes out of hyperspace. The image of the ship on the
screen goes fuzzy.)
CARTER: See if you can modify the disrupter wave again. I'll go
buy
us some time. (She starts to run from the room.)
THOR: I have no way of knowing how many Replicators you will face.
CARTER (stopping and turning around to face him): Well, what choice
do we have?
THOR: I must return you to Stargate Command before my transporter
systems are affected.
CARTER: And what about you?
THOR: I will attempt to fly this ship as far away from Earth as
possible before it is completely compromised.
CARTER (starting to run towards him): No way. I'm not gonna let
you ...
(A transporter beam envelops her and whisks her away and she
reappears in ...)
SGC. JACK'S OFFICE. Jack is sitting at his desk. Sam runs out
of
the beam and stops in front of Jack's desk.
CARTER: ... sacrifice yourself. (She realises where she is.) Dammit!
O'NEILL: Carter?
CARTER: The weapon worked at first, but the Replicators immediately
adapted themselves. They're immune again.
O'NEILL: No chance you guys could fix this thing – get it to
work?
CARTER: Sir, Thor's ship was boarded. He beamed me down here
before
all the systems were compromised. He's trying to get his ship as
far
away from Earth as possible.
O'NEILL: I'll take that as a no?
CARTER: Yeah.
TA'KARA. Aron is admiring the temple walls. He walks over to
Teal'c, who is leaning against a pillar and smiling.
TEAL'C: Never in my dreams could I have imagined I would one day
stand beneath these great columns.
ARON: Think of it: this is the very spot in which our enslavement
began.
TEAL'C: Then this sacred temple is an appropriate place for our
enslavement to end. (They walk over to Bra'tac.) We have won a
great victory here today, old friend.
BRA'TAC: We have won a battle, Teal'c – nothing more.
Our victory is
far from assured.
TEAL'C: Many of Ba'al's Jaffa have already pledged their
allegiance
to our cause. When word spreads of what we have accomplished, many
more will follow.
BRA'TAC: And their hearts will turn cold again if they hear our
accomplishment lasted mere hours. (Tolok enters. Bra'tac turns
to
greet him.) Tolok. What news?
TOLOK: We have received word. Ba'al has broken off his battle
with
the Replicators. He is coming.
BRA'TAC: As we expected. You see – taking the temple was not
our
greatest challenge. Holding it will be.
DANIEL'S TENT. All the candles blow out.
REPLICARTER: This Oma character: why do you have such reverence for
her? Those ridiculous sayings are just nonsense.
DANIEL: To you, maybe.
REPLICARTER: If she really has as much power as you think she does,
why doesn't she help you? She merely stands by and does nothing.
DANIEL: You mean, while you destroy entire civilisations.
REPLICARTER: That's a matter of perspective. You call it
destruction; we call it creation.
DANIEL: You're not really trying to justify your actions, are you?
REPLICARTER: No. I have no need for you to understand this.
DANIEL: Why the elaborate ruse? I mean, you probed my mind at will
–
I obviously can't stop you.
REPLICARTER: You could have resisted. I needed you to open up to the
possibility of remembering the knowledge in your subconscious. It
made it much easier for me to find what I was looking for.
DANIEL: And what d'you find?
(The RepliCarter turns to the entrance to the tent. Just outside the
tent, the sand rises into an exact replica of the temple at
Ta'kara.)
DANIEL: Pretty! What is it?
REPLICARTER: The ruin is of an Ancient monument on a planet now
called Ta'kara. Within it is the one weapon in this galaxy
capable
of destroying me. (She gestures, and the sand blows away. She turns
back to face Daniel.) Thanks to you, it will soon be no more.
SGC. GATEROOM. Walter and Siler are standing facing the foot of the
ramp. Walter looks at his watch nervously. He glances at Siler,
then turns to face the ramp again.
HARRIMAN: I'm sure he'll be here any second now.
(On the ramp, Ba'al's hologram is standing impatiently. He
has
obviously been kept waiting there for some time.)
HARRIMAN: So, um ...
(At that moment, Jack comes in.)
O'NEILL: I am *so* sorry. I was just finishing up a lovely
brunch.
BA'AL: Impudence.
O'NEILL: No, tuna. So, I hear your fleet is retreating from the
Replicators.
BA'AL: How could you know that?
O'NEILL: I have my sources.
BA'AL: My fleet is on its way to recapture Ta'kara and
destroy the
Jaffa who have dishonoured their true god.
O'NEILL: Will you stop with the "true god" crap? I mean,
seriously,
what difference will it make? You're just delaying the
inevitable.
BA'AL: The Replicators are a formidable enemy – but I have
recently
learned of a weapon hidden on Ta'kara capable of destroying them.
O'NEILL: Really? And you're telling me this why?
BA'AL: Because you must destroy it before my fleet arrives to
claim
it.
O'NEILL: Alright – you got me. I haven't the slightest
idea what
you're talking about.
BA'AL: The weapon on Ta'kara was built by the Ancients. It
is not
only capable of destroying Replicators but all life in the galaxy.
O'NEILL: And your own sweet self included.
BA'AL: Yes.
O'NEILL: So why would you use it?
BA'AL: I would not, but there is one who would – one who can
survive
such pervasive devastation.
(Jack closes his eyes as he realises who Ba'al is talking about.)
O'NEILL: Oh, *please* don't tell me.
BA'AL: Anubis.
O'NEILL: I asked you *not* to tell me.
TO BE CONTINUED