1.09 "Brief Candle" Transcript

1.09 "Brief Candle"

Episode Guide

• 1.09 "Brief Candle" Episode Guide

Précis

On the mysterious planet Argos, the beautiful Kynthia seduces Jack O'Neill into marriage. As a result of their liaison, Jack is condemned to an Argosian lifespan of only a hundred days. As he ages rapidly and his health fails, will his team succeed in their frantic search for a cure? Jack's bitterness changes the peaceful Argosians forever.

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Transcript

TEASER

EXT—PLANET—DAY

[People dressed in colorful togas walk around a small orange building with columns.]

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[A young man, Alekos, dressed in a purple toga with a wreath of leaves around his head pleads before a statue.]

ALEKOS
Give them strength, Lord. Let their hearts beat as one.

[The statue seems to be made of stone; a Greek-like warrior standing in a chariot resting between two winged horses. He is holding a lightning bolt, as if about to throw it. There is a noise, and Alekosstares at the statue in disbelief. Beyond the statue is a Stargate with six chevrons lit. The seventh chevron lights up, and the Stargate activates.Alekos runs, looking panicked. Teal'c, Daniel, O'Neill and Carter stand on a platform in front of the Stargate, surveying the room. It appears to be some kind of temple. They walk down the steps toward the statue. O'Neill waves an arm, gesturing to the statue.]

O'NEILL
And who might this be, Daniel?

DANIEL
I'm not sure…Maybe early Greek, but I don't recognize the god form.

[As Teal'c passes the column where Alekos hides, he peers out. Somewhere in the temple, a woman screams.Alekos jumps, disappearing around the column. O'Neill and Daniel, Carter and Teal'c turn. As O'Neill directs his team with hand gestures, Teal'c takes point, and SG-1 move toward the sound. O'Neill and Carter round a column and discover Alekos bent over a young woman, obviously in labor. Teal'c and Daniel come around on the opposite side, Teal'c pointing his staff weapon at the unfortunate couple. The young woman, Thetys, screams in fear, and Alekos moves quickly to defend her.]

DANIEL
Sorry. We, we…we didn't mean to scare anyone.

[Alekos looks up at them with fear.]

ALEKOS
You are not Pelops.

DANIEL

No…no…
(pointing to the statue)

Uh, you mean him? Uh, no. We're, we're visitors…friends.

[Thetys pants, obviously in pain.]

THETYS

Husband, the child is near. Please…

ALEKOS

(panicked)

The midwife is gone, I…I do not know the birthing mysteries. And the village is too far. Please? Help us.

[Daniel and Teal'c look from the couple to Carter. O'Neill motions Carter toward the woman. Carter looks back at them.]

CARTER
What? Well, don't look at me, I don't know what to do.

[Thetys screams again as SG-1 looks on with shock.]

END TEASER

OPENING CREDITS

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[Daniel is bent over Thetys, who is in the midst of giving birth. Holding her hand and wincing, Carter sits beside her, watching Daniel.]

DANIEL

(concentrating)

Push. Push. Push.

[Thetys groans, pants and pushes.]

DANIEL
You're doing just fine.

CARTER
Where did you learn how to do this?

DANIEL
Uh…Uh, on a dig in the Yucatan. Um, after the first one, I made friends with the local midwives and they taught me a lot.

CARTER
How many babies have you delivered?

DANIEL

Uh…two. (looking uncomfortable)

Uh, counting today.

[Carter's eyes widen, but she turns back to encourage Thetys in her breathing. Across the temple, O'Neill is pacing in front of the Stargate whileAlekos sits, looking uneasy, on a platform nearby. Teal'c stands by the DHD. All three look up at the cry of a baby. Daniel walks out from behind a column, pulling off gloves. They go to meet him.]

DANIEL
Alekos…it's a boy.

[Alekos grabs Daniel by the shoulders and hugs him exuberantly.]

O'NEILL
Hey, congratulations.

TEAL'C
May he grow strong and bring…you…honor.

[Teal'c's voice trails off as Alekos disappears, running to join Thetys.]

O'NEILL

(with a smile, to Daniel)

You never cease to amaze me with all your talents.

DANIEL

Thank you.
(He looks around the temple)

Wow, this…place is incredible. It's like we just stepped into the citadel at Mycenae.

O'NEILL
Thought you said it was Greek?

DANIEL
Oh, uh…Mycenae was an ancient city in the southern Peloponnesus region.

O'NEILL
Where's that?

DANIEL

(with a slight smile)

Greece.

O'NEILL

(shaking his head)

Why do I do that?

Carter (from off-screen)

Wait, I don't think you should be walking right now, I mean…

[Alekos and Thetys, carrying the baby walk into view. Carter is walking slightly to the side, holding out one arm, as if trying to be there to catch the baby if Thetys drops him. Thetys looks perfectly healthy.]

CARTER
Shouldn't you be resting? Daniel, shouldn't she…

THETYS

(laughing)

I'm fine. I'm fine. We wish for you all to be the first to see…

[Thetys holds the baby out towards Daniel and pulls back the blanket covering him. On his arm is a small pyramid-shaped mark.]

DANIEL
A birthmark.

ALEKOS

(embracing his wife and child)
A tri-point. It will bring him luck.
(to Daniel)
I would call him Dan-El, to honor the stranger who birthed him.

DANIEL
(awkwardly)

Oh, you don't have to do that.

THETYS
May we offer you the hospitality of our village?

O'NEILL
Well, that'd be nice. Who are you folks?

ALEKOS
We are the Chosen.

TEAL'C

(suspiciously)

Where do the gods reside?

[Thetys looks up at Alekos as they both laugh.]

ALEKOS
Doesn't everyone know?

[Daniel, O'Neill and Teal'c just look at him.]

THETYS
In the sky. Of course.

DANIEL

(smiling)

Of course.

EXT—PLANET (ARGOS)—DAY

[Alekos holds baby Dan-el up to the sky, displaying him.]

ALEKOS
I have a son!

[Alekos lowers the baby, kisses Thetys and places him in her arms. The people of the village, dressed in a colorful array of togas and draped cloth, cluster around, patting Alekos and Thetys, praising the baby.]

CROWD

Yes!
Look at him.
What a lovely child.

A lovely child.

[There is joy and celebration as the crowd of villagers chatter with each other. They move across the village. The members of SG-1 sit on the sides of a fountain in the center of the celebration, observing them.]

DANIEL
Look at these people. I guess they've never heard the word unattractive here.

[A young woman moves among SG-1, offering them refreshments. Daniel takes a piece of fruit.]

TEAL'C
They all look as healthy as a Jaffa.

O'NEILL
That's a good thing, right?

Carter
I don't see anyone who looks like they're over forty.

[Another woman carries a tray of tall glasses, filled with some sort of beverage. Daniel takes one. O'Neill looks across the square as a young woman takes Dan-el from Thetys and cradles him. She looks up, and their eyes meet. She raises her eyebrows and smiles flirtatiously. O'Neill gazes at her.]

O'NEILL
Um. Do things feel a little…off…here?

DANIEL
Are you crazy? It's a paradise.

O'NEILL

(absently)

Yeah, sure, have an apple. What could happen?

[O'Neill has kept his eyes on the young woman throughout the entire conversation. As he finishes speaking, she approaches, holding a covered plate.]

KYNTHIA
I am Kynthia. Welcome to our village.

O'NEILL
Thank you. Jack O'Neill.

[Kynthia smiles at him and uncovers the dish to reveal a fancy cake. She offers it to him. O'Neill takes a piece. Kynthia smiles at him and watches as he takes a bite. Daniel looks from O'Neill to the cake with curiosity. O'Neill takes a bite and smiles at Kynthia.]

KYNTHIA

(anxiously)

It is pleasing?

O'NEILL

(nods)
Very.
(to Daniel)

You should have some.

[Daniel reaches out to take a piece, but Kynthia pulls the dish away.]

KYNTHIA

(to O'Neill, never glancing at Daniel)

It is only for you.

[Beside O'Neill, Carter laughs.]

O'NEILL

Only for me?
(takes the dish, smiles and nods)

Thanks.

[Kynthia saunters off, joining a group of young women. They greet her with giggles and squeals of delight.]

DANIEL

(smirking)

"It is only for you."

CARTER

(grinning)

I think you have a fan, Colonel.

TEAL'C
I believe this woman wishes to spend time with O'Neill.

O'NEILL

(still eating)

Thank you, Teal'c.

[Carter laughs again. O'Neill looks at her; she clears her throat and straightens her face.]

DANIEL
This place must be loaded with artifacts. That statue in there, for example, must be the Mycenaean hero, Pelops, who fought from his winged chariot, hurling lightning bolts.

[In the middle of Daniel's speech, O'Neill blinks. While watching Kynthia with her friends, his vision blurs.]

CARTER
Poetic way to describe a Goa'uld Death Glider.

DANIEL
Yeah, probably.

TEAL'C
These people are obviously not laborers.

[O'Neill holds the plate away from his body, chewing thoughtfully, seeming to admire his reflection in the shiny surface.]

TEAL'C
I must wonder why a Goa'uld would bring them to this planet. Perhaps it was a good Goa'uld.

[O'Neill lets out a shout of laughter, spraying pieces of the cake. Daniel looks at him, nonplussed.]

O'NEILL

(chortles, his mouth full)

Right! Like there is such a thing.

[Teal'c raises one eyebrow. Daniel stares at O'Neill.]

TEAL'C
I did not intend for my statement to be humorous.

O'NEILL

(with amusement, around a mouthful of food)

Trust me, they weren't.

[A giggling group of Kynthia's friends surround O'Neill, pulling him to his feet.]

O'NEILL

(fatuously)

Hello, girls…

[O'Neill seems happy as the girls lead him away. Carter jumps to her feet.]

CARTER
Uh, Colonel? Where're you going? Hello?

[Daniel and Teal'c also rise, equally concerned. Several Argosians approach them, catching at their clothing and patting them soothingly.]

MAN
Please, sit down.

[Across from them, O'Neill is settled on a bench and the girls disappear into one of the buildings. Carter, Daniel and Teal'c sit back down, several Argosians at their feet. Music starts to play as Kynthia comes out wearing a sheer, long, sleeveless robe with butterfly attachments and a train. Sticks sewn into the lining rest in her hands; she holds them up and crossed in front of her, so that the material hides her face. Several young women carry the trailing edges of the robe, spreading them out and setting them down as Kynthia comes to a halt in front of O'Neill. Several voices from the crowd cry out.]

VOICES

Ah.
She is beautiful!

Yes.

[Kynthia stands in front of O'Neill. As the people quiet, the music gets louder and she begins dancing. She holds the sticks out to the sides, swaying and twirling for O'Neill, who stares at her, mesmerized, his vision blurring.]

[As the music gets faster, Kynthia twirls and, for O'Neill, the world around her blurs; he can see only her. Kynthia bends down before him, wrapping the wings of her dress around him, close enough to kiss. He stares at her. Kynthia stands and pulls the unresisting O'Neill behind her, leading him into one of the buildings. The villagers laugh and exclaim their appreciation.]

[Daniel, Teal'c and Carter rise to their feet. Alekos approaches them.]

ALEKOS
Unto every man the creator gives one hundred blissful days. It is a sin not to celebrate each and every one.

[Alekos hands one of the goblets he is carrying to Carter. She looks at it suspiciously.]

DANIEL

A hundred day celebration?
(inhales)

Guess we should pace ourselves.

INT—VILLAGE—EVENING

[O'Neill and Kynthia lie on a bed, wrapped around each other, kissing passionately. Suddenly, O'Neill stops and pulls back, looking a bit confused.]

O'NEILL
What, exactly, just happened?

[Kynthia smiles up at him, just as a gentle kind of alarm begins to sound. People stream into the building. Alekos, Thetys and Dan-el among them. Surprised, O'Neill sits up, pulling a covering over his naked body. No one pays any attention to him, instead lying down to sleep. O'Neill turns to ask Kynthia a question, but she is asleep.]

O'NEILL

(whispering)
Kynthia?
(urgently)

Kynthia?

[O'Neill feels her neck for a pulse, then puts his head on her chest to listen for a heartbeat. Apparently, she has one. O'Neill grabs a blalnket from the bed to wrap around his nakedness while he looks around the room. He walks away from the bed, seeing Argosians lying in deep sleep all around the room, some on beds, some on pillows, some propped in uncomfortable positions on the floor. Carter, Teal'c and Daniel walk into the building.]

O'NEILL

(confused)

Um…what happened?

CARTER

(looking at O'Neill)

To them or…you?

[Teal'c passes her to look at the sleepers.]

O'NEILL

(avoiding her eyes)

We'll talk about that later.

CARTER
I've seen parties end abruptly, but never like this.

[Carter bends over to observe Thetys and Dan-el. She feels for a pulse in Thetys's neck.]

DANIEL
They all just…collapsed.

TEAL'C
It happened just as the sun set.

O'NEILL
Kynthia did the same thing. What is it? Some kind of sleeping sickness? What?

CARTER
No sign of fever or pain. Breathing's shallow, heartbeats slow but regular. A disease can't affect everyone all at once.

TEAL'C
It seems to be nothing more than a deep state of sleep.

CARTER

(eyeing O'Neill)

Now…how about you?

O'NEILL

(evasively)

Let's just stick to the matter at hand. How does an entire village pass out? Something in the food?

[O'Neill drinks from one of the goblets. Teal'c walks to him.]

TEAL'C
We all partook of the same food.

CARTER
Except for that cake.

DANIEL

(slowly)

Which was "only for you."

[O'Neill looks at Daniel, then down at the goblet in his hand with dismay. He throws it aside.]

O'NEILL
Damn. She drugged me.

[O'Neill jumps up, passing Carter to walk toward Kynthia on the bed. He only takes a few steps before staggering and falling to his knees.]

O'NEILL
Whoa!

[Only a few paces behind, Carter catches him, Daniel pushes past her and grabs O'Neill on the other side to save him from falling face-first into the floor.]

DANIEL
Oh…he's still feeling the effects of the drug.

O'NEILL
No…just a little tired.

CARTER
Colonel…?

O'NEILL
From now on, we stick to rations.

[O'Neill passes out. Carter and Daniel lower him to the ground. Carter sighs.]

CARTER
No fever, shallow breathing, slow heartbeat…just like the others.

DANIEL
What the hell is going on here?

EXT—ARGOS—MORNING

[Teal'c looks around at the village, once again bustling with activity. Daniel is talking with several villagers, Carter writing in a notebook as O'Neill, looking rather bedraggled and hung over, comes out of the building. He pulls on his sunglasses on, staggering past her.]

CARTER

(eagerly)

Hey, Colonel…how you feeling?

O'NEILL

(walking)
Hung over—but okay.
(He removes his sunglasses as he walks past Daniel.)

Getting any answers out here?

[O'Neill bends over the village fountain and plunges his head under the water. Daniel and Carter, behind him, share a look.]

DANIEL
No. They all act as if what happened last night was normal. They party until sundown, then they fall asleep, and they wake when the sun rises.

O'NEILL
I'd like an explanation. Daniel, get back to that temple. See what you can find out, and take Teal'c with you.

[Daniel stands, looking at him.]

O'NEILL
Go on.

[Daniel walks away, Teal'c following him. O'Neill lays sideways on the edge of the well.]

O'NEILL
Carter. Keep asking questions out here.

[O'Neill puts his sunglasses back on and falls back flat on his back, showing no intention of moving. Carter shakes her head uncertainly, looking around at the villagers.]

EXT—ARGOS—DAY

Villagers chatter and walk in groups around the buildings.

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[Daniel and Alekos walk around the statue in the center of the temple. Daniel is using his videorecorder to tape everything.]

ALEKOS
He is the creator. Pelops, the giver of days. This was his home when he lived among us. We keep it as it was then and will do so until he returns.

DANIEL
And when will that be?

ALEKOS
Well, that is a mystery. Until it is revealed, it is the duty of the Chosen to rejoice and wait.

TEAL'C
Why are your people called the Chosen?

[Alekos waves his arm toward a mural on the wall.]

ALEKOS
My ancestors were so beloved by Pelops that he fashioned this garden for us. It is said he chose us and brought us here from beyond the stars.

DANIEL
Are there any writings of your history?

ALEKOS

(confused)

Writings? I do not know this word.

DANIEL

Ahh…(looks around the temple)
More…(turns and indicates the symbols on the base of the statue)

…of this. Writings. Do you know what this is?

ALEKOS
It is of Pelops.

TEAL'C
It is Goa'uld. An obscure dialect.

[Daniel stares at Teal'c with awe and maybe a hint of impatience. He steps in closer.]

DANIEL
Why didn't you tell me that before?

TEAL'C
You never before inquired.

DANIEL
Well…you call it Goa'uld. Um, I call it linear A script. We found pictographics like this in ancient Greece and ancient Cretan, but we never completely deciphered this form.

TEAL'C
The symbols are a sequence.

DANIEL
What, like a…combination?

[Teal'c squats at the base of the statue and begins pressing the symbols in a seemingly random order.]

TEAL'C
What is a combination?

DANIEL
Well, it's a sequence of symbols or motions…

[Daniel's voice trails off as Teal'c's actions cause one of the symbols to slide out; opening like a drawer to reveal an embedded small triangular tablet and a Goa'uld device. Teal'c picks them up as Daniel stares; his mouth works, but nothing coming out.]

[Teal'c stands and passes the stone over the face of the tablet. Daniel moves closer to observe and even Alekos looks curious. Teal'c's action causes the symbols on the tablet to change.]

DANIEL
Can you read this?

TEAL'C
I believe I can. It seems to be some sort of record. An archaic dialect. Very difficult to decipher.

EXT—A BEACH NEAR THE VILLAGE—DAY

[Carter is collecting samples. Several children are playing nearby.]

CHILD #1
Come on, I want to show you something.

CHILD #2
Okay, I…I'm coming.

[Thetys approaches, carrying a small boy who looks about two. Carter rises to her feet, smiling.]

CARTER
Hi. I found this shell this morning and, uh, thought maybe Dan-el might like it.

[Thetys puts the child down as Carter shakes the shell, producing a gentle sound.]

CARTER
He can use it as a rattle. You want to give it to him for me?

THETYS
Oh, you can do so yourself. This is Dan-el.

[Thetys brushes back the little boy's hair. He looks up at her and smiles.]

CARTER
No, no, I meant the baby.

THETYS
This is baby Dan-el.

[Carter frowns as she looks down at Dan-el and notices the triangular birthmark on his arm.]

EXT—ARGOS—DAY

[DAN-EL, the birthmark showing prominently, is seated between Carter and THETYS on the edge of the well. O'Neill stands over them, still wearing his sunglasses.]

O'NEILL
Okay…that's not possible

THETYS

(confused)

Do you not have children who change and…and grow?

O'NEILL
Well, yeah, sure we do. But not like that.

CARTER
Thetys, how old is that boy?

[Carter points to a nearby youth talking with two girls.]

THETYS
That is Phillippos. He is twelve.

CARTER
Okay, well, he's a little big for twelve years old, but…

THETYS

(confused)

Years…what are years?

CARTER
Oh. Uh, well…uh, I-I guess it would be a little different for each planet, but a year is basically the time it takes for the globe to complete one orbit around the sun…

O'NEILL

(rolling his eyes)

Right…let's just keep this keep this simple, okay? Where we come from, there are 365 days in one year.

THETYS
No, no. We…we have no such counting of time on Argos. Phillippos is twelve days old.

[O'Neill and Carter look at each other in shock.]

CARTER
What…? How old are you?

THETYS
Twenty-one days.

O'NEILL

(cautiously)

And, um…Kynthia?

THETYS
Thirty-one days.

[Carter blinks. O'Neill looks stunned.]

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[Daniel, Teal'c and Carter are sitting on the floor near the statue, talking.]

DANIEL
I think Pelops brought humans here to be lab rats. From what we've been able to translate so far he wanted to know how humans evolve, so he shortened the life span to about 1/250th of normal.

CARTER
So, instead of having to wait a hundred thousand years to see how human physiology evolves, he could do it in a hundred?

TEAL'C
That is correct. Pelops wanted to determine what the human host body would become in the future, and perhaps accelerate the process.

CARTER
Well, how did he do it? Was it genetic alteration, or…?

TEAL'C
We do not know. It is an archaic dialect.

[Daniel stares down at the papers in his lap, avoiding Carter's eyes. He looks upset.]

CARTER
Daniel…?

DANIEL
Okay. I didn't want to say this 'til I was absolutely sure but…I think he may have created some kind of virus. And…viruses are often spread through bodily contact.

CARTER

(quickly)

Some are, and some are airborne.

DANIEL
But I think that this one isn't.

TEAL'C
What has drawn you to this conclusion?

DANIEL
Because only one of us passed out last night, and that was Jack.

[Teal'c raises one eyebrow thoughtfully. Carter rests her forehead on her steepled hands before looking back at Daniel.]

EXT—VILLAGE—TWILIGHT

[SG-1 walk into the village, returning from the temple. As usual, the village is bustling with happy activity.]

DANIEL
You have to give them credit for one thing…they do enjoy life.

TEAL'C
Perhaps it is because they do not have much life to enjoy.

O'NEILL
Great. So now what you're telling me is this virus—which, by the way, I do NOT have—is deadly?

DANIEL
Well, if the kids age five years in five days, what happens when they reach a hundred days?

[O'Neill staggers and drops to his knees. Carter drops down beside him while Daniel and Teal'c look on with shock.]

CARTER
Colonel? Colonel?

[She rolls O'Neill over onto his back, his head on her thigh as she removes his sunglasses. Around the village, everyone is dropping where they stood, lying down as the sun sets.]

O'NEILL

(groggy)

I guess it wasn't the cake.

CARTER
Maybe it was your physical contact with Kynthia.

O'NEILL
Get back to Earth, Captain. Figure this thing out.

INT—SGC LAB

[Carter is bent over a computer, an isolation container to the side. Fraiser walks into the lab.]

FRAISER
Tell me you brought the blood back in sealed containers.

CARTER
Yeah, of course I did. What is it?

FRAISER

(sighing)

I'm not sure. First, I ran a routine check for antibodies…nothing. So then I thought, all right, maybe this alien bug found a way to hide from the immune system, so I ran a protein analysis.

[Fraiser pulls a disk out of her pocket and hands it to Carter.]

FRAISER
Take a look what I found.

[Carter puts the disk in the computer. The screen changes to show blood samples and data.]

FRAISER
All right, these are the blood samples you brought back. Now, look at the strange particulate in there.

[Fraiser magnifies the picture and points to a couple small triangular-shaped objects moving in the blood sample.]

CARTER
So that's from one of the Argosians?

[Fraiser nods, and Carter nods. FRAISER presses a key on the keyboard. The blood sample changes but stays at the same magnification; in this particular sample, dozens of small triangles move around in the blood.]

FRAISER
Now…That's from Colonel O'Neill.

CARTER
Wow…what is it?

FRAISER
Something we don't have a word for. Yet.

CARTER
Well, how come the Colonel has way more of it than the Argosians?

FRAISER
Maybe because he started out older than they did, sort of like a…a head start for whatever this thing is.

CARTER
I'd better wake up General Hammond.

FRAISER
Yeah.

[Carter leaves the lab as Fraiser starts working on the computer.]

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[The Stargate activates. Daniel runs down the stairs away from it, toward a doorway on the other side of the temple.]

DANIEL
Jack! Carter's coming back!

[Daniel runs into the entry corridor and waits as O'Neill approaches.]

DANIEL
Jack.

[As Daniel motions over his shoulder, O'Neill joins him. Daniel observes him with concern. O'Neill's hairline has receded and his grayer hair seems slightly longer. He appears to be hunched over a bit, and has more wrinkles.]

[Carter comes through the wormhole carrying a large container. She slows as she sees O'Neill.]

O'NEILL
Welcome back, Captain. So, what did you find out?

[Carter stares at him, her mouth open.]

O'NEILL
Come on now, don't keep the elderly waiting. It's rude.

[Carter puts the case down, frowning at his altered appearance.]

CARTER
It isn't a virus.

O'NEILL
All right, what is it?

CARTER
Well, Dr. Fraiser and I came up empty. She's still working on it. But it's going to take time.

DANIEL
Time…is something these people don't have, Captain.

[They all look uncomfortable.]

O'NEILL
Nor do I.

CARTER
Colonel, there's something else. Your blood sample showed way more organisms compared to the Argosians.

O'NEILL
How many more?

CARTER
Maybe on the level of a hundred times more…and they are multiplying.

O'NEILL
Which means?

CARTER
It…it means the organism, or what ever it is, seems to be compensating for your natural age. You've already lived way longer than anyone with this—for lack of a better word, disease—ever should.

O'NEILL

(impatient)

Cut to it, Captain.

CARTER

(reluctantly)

At the rate you're changing, by the end of two weeks, you'll be the equivalent of one hundred years old.

O'NEILL
So, in two weeks I'll be dead?

CARTER
Not if I can help it. I'd like to set up a lab here.

O'NEILL
Negative, Captain.

CARTER
We may be able to retard the aging process long enough to find a cure.

O'NEILL
I want you to pack up and head back to Earth. Now. All of you. That's an order. We're not going to bring another disease back through that Gate.

TEAL'C
I will remain here, with O'Neill. I cannot be affected by…whatever this is.

O'NEILL
I don't need company. I need a cure. And Daniel needs help translating that Goa'uld tablet thing. It might hold the answer.

DANIEL
Jack…

O'NEILL

(angrily)

And don't you dare say good-bye, because you damn will better be coming back…soon. Now, get out of here. All of you.

[O'Neill walks away, leaving his teammates staring after him with concern and determination.]

INT—SGC LAB—DAY?

[Carter is looking at magnified images of the blood samples on a computer. Fraiser is working with some test tubes and beakers on a table nearby. Teal'c and Daniel are in the observation deck above.]

CARTER
My God…

FRAISER

(joining her)

What?

CARTER
They're not multiplying. They're replicating.

DANIEL

(via PA system)

What's the difference?

CARTER
Living organisms multiply. Machines replicate.

TEAL'C

(on PA)

Machines inside the body? How is that possible?

CARTER
They're molecular devices that take atomic particles from their environment and use them to make more of themselves.

FRAISER
Well, you're talking nanotechnology!

[Carter nods.]

DANIEL

(on PA)

You know anything about that?

FRAISER

No.

(she sighs)

CARTER
Yes! When I was at the Pentagon, I worked for a year with a group that studied nanotechnology. We were looking at it for a lot of different uses; one of them was medicine. Creating artificial immune systems, repairing individual cells…even manipulating DNA to stop the aging process.

FRAISER
It sounds like Pelops succeeded in what you were experimenting with, only in reverse. Nice guy.

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[O'Neill sits in the temple, glaring at the statue of Pelops. There is a fire roaring in a vessel and he is sitting in what appears to be Pelops' throne. He appears to have aged several more years.]

O'NEILL

(to the statue)

What're you looking at? Think you're hot stuff, doing this to me from six billion light years away?

KYNTHIA

(peeking out from behind the statue)

Can you really talk to the great Pelops?

O'NEILL
Sure…why not? Just a piece of rock. Not so great, anyway.

[Kynthia looks around the temple then approaches him, looking at O'Neill with awe and sympathy.]

KYNTHIA
Your people…they have gone?

O'NEILL
Yeah…they've gone.

KYNTHIA
Then, you will leave also?

O'NEILL
No, I'll be here for a while.

KYNTHIA

(sounding delighted)

I am glad.

[Kynthia settles on the pillows at O'Neill's feet, placing one hand on his knee.]

KYNTHIA
I would like to learn of your customs.

O'NEILL
Maybe some other time, huh? I've kinda got a lot on my mind.

KYNTHIA
But you ate the marriage cake…came to my bed…

O'NEILL

(shocked)
Marriage cake?
(Kynthia nods.)

Kynthia, you thought we were married?

KYNTHIA

(looking slightly worried)

By all our customs, yes.

[O'Neill closes his eyes as he looks away Kynthia's confusion.]

O'NEILL

Sweet…
(sighs)

Kynthia, wh-what you were feeling wasn't really love. That takes time. I mean, you can't get to know someone in one day.

KYNTHIA
Unto every woman the creator gives one hundred blissful days.

O'NEILL

(impatiently)

Kynthia, will you stop that? Your creator was not a god, and he certainly didn't give you life. He took it away.

KYNTHIA
We are the Chosen. He made this place for us. To be happy…to love.

O'NEILL

(angrily)

To be experimented on! I mean, look at me! I'm forty years old…or I was. That's…thousands and thousands of days.

KYNTHIA

(visibly upset)

You do not tell the truth.

O'NEILL
The average human life span is sixty or seventy years. Some people live to be one hundred years.

KYNTHIA

(crying)

It is not possible.

O'NEILL
Pelops was an alien who used your people! He shortened your lives to satisfy his curiosity!

[Kynthia looks to the statue, then back to O'Neill.]

KYNTHIA

(shaking her head, whispering)

No.

[Kynthia gets up and runs from the temple. O'Neill watches her flee, looking regretful.]

INT—SGC LAB—DAY?

[Carter and Fraiser are working on the isolation container. Carter has her hands in the gloves that allow her to manipulate objects inside the container.]

CARTER
We've given the nanocytes some live tissue to interact with, but they aren't touching it. The only thing they appear to do is make more of themselves. So, how are they causing the aging on Argos?

FRAISER
Maybe there's something on Argos that they need to make them do another task, something in the air or, uh, in the food.

[Carter puts down one of the instruments she was holding. As she turns her hands over in the gloves, she notices that they appear to be disintegrating.]

CARTER
Unh!

[An alarm starts to sound. Carter pulls her hands out quickly and closes the doors, isolating the nanocytes inside the container. In the observation area, Teal'c and Daniel rise to their feet, looking on with concern.]

TEAL'C

(over the PA)

Is there a problem, Captain Carter?

CARTER
I-I don't know!

[She hurries to wash her hands in a sink.]

FRAISER
Why, it's eating through the rubber!

[Inside the isolation chamber, the gloves crumble into small pieces.]

CARTER
Oh, God!

FRAISER
What? What is it?

CARTER
They're trying to spread.

[Carter and Fraiser look at each other, then up at Daniel and Teal'c.]

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[O'Neill is still on Pelop's throne. His hair is white, much longer and thinning. His face contains more wrinkles, as well as a scraggly stubble. His hands are spotted with age and trembling. In them, he has a notebook and pen. O'Neill studies the paper, on which is written 'Dear Sara', but nothing else. Looking troubled, he closes the notebook and throws it and the pen to the floor. Alekos, previously unseen, speaks.]

ALEKOS
Is it true that you have lived…thousands of days?

O'NEILL
I should have kept my mouth shut. But wouldn't you rather know the truth?

[Alekos stares at him, open-mouthed, then whirls to look at the statue, pleading with it.]

ALEKOS
Why do we deserve this?

O'NEILL
He can't hear you.

ALEKOS
We are good people. We love each other and this land you have given us. Why?

O'NEILL
Science. Progress. Knowledge…

[O'Neill waves his hands, at a loss for a better answer.]

O'NEILL
Alekos. What would you do if you had thousands of days ahead of you?

ALEKOS
I would walk out into the world, beyond the borders of the Chosen.

O'NEILL
Why?

[Alekos sits at O'Neill's feet. He continues, his voice rising with excitement.]

ALEKOS
To see what is there. Now one knows. Pelops has forbidden us ever to leave.

O'NEILL
And how has he done that? He's nothing but a big piece of rock. He's a statue.

ALEKOS
He will strike us down. It is taught.

O'NEILL
No, he will not strike you down. Trust me on that, will you? Look; go on out there. Take a walk. See what's there. Go on…

[Alekos looks thoughtful and O'Neill waves him on. He rises slowly to his feet.]

ALEKOS
Then I could return and teach the people what I know. And in their thousands of days, they would learn more and…and teach their children.

O'NEILL

(smiling)

Now you're talking!

EXT—ARGOS, DAWN

[The sun rises.]

INT—ARGOS

[Kynthia walks into the temple, looking for O'Neill. She finds him facing away from her, sitting before the Stargate, staring at it. His hair is all white now and past his shoulders.]

KYNTHIA
Come back to the village. It is not good to be always alone.

O'NEILL

(still turned away from her)

Whatever time I have left, let me spend it in my own way.

[Kynthia walks up the steps to sit by O'Neill.]

KYNTHIA
But you do not spend it. You waste it.

O'NEILL
I don't think reflecting on my life, or…trying to figure out how to get the rest of it back, is a waste.

KYNTHIA
You are angry.

O'NEILL
Yes. Yes I am. Aren't you? Now that you know the truth?

KYNTHIA
What can we do but live in the way we always have? We do not have thousands of days. But we treasure every moment.

O'NEILL

I know, Kynthia. But in my heart…I'm a military man, a warrior. That's my life.
(He looks away, his eyes on the past)

To which my ex-wife will attest.

KYNTHIA
You love her still?

[O'Neill doesn't answer, sitting very still.]

KYNTHIA

(sadly)

And now, because of me, you will never see her again.

O'NEILL

(patting her comfortingly)

You meant no harm.

KYNTHIA
Then let me give what I have taken. The time of one heartbeat can become eternity.

[As O'Neill turns to look at her, Kynthia blinks back tears, then bends in and kisses O'Neill gently.]

INT—SGC BRIEFING ROOM

[Hammond drops a sheaf of papers onto the briefing table as he joins SG-1 and Fraiser.]

HAMMOND
I'm sorry, people. My decision is final.

FRAISER
Sir, neither of us show any evidence of the nanocyte.

CARTER
We can keep working here in total isolation.

HAMMOND
All blood and tissue samples are to be incinerated and pulverized. Work on the Argos project stops now.

DANIEL

(restrained, but obviously furious)

General, you are condemning Colonel O'Neill and the Argosians to death.

HAMMOND
Captain Carter, these things appear to possess artificial intelligence. Correct?

CARTER
Yes, sir. That's the only way they could adapt their programming to their situation.

HAMMOND
Which means they could adapt themselves right out of this facility.

CARTER

(intently)

Sir, if we destroy the samples we will have nothing to work from.

HAMMOND
I'm sorry. The risk is just too great. The order is final.

[Hammond rises to leave. Automatically, Carter and Fraiser stand.]

DANIEL

(shouting, his voice stressed)

Sir!

[Hammond stops. Everyone turns to stare at Daniel.]

DANIEL
We cannot just leave him there.

HAMMOND
Doctor Jackson, Colonel O'Neill is one of the finest men it has ever been my pleasure to serve with. It will be a great loss to this country and to all of us in this room. But I am sure he would not hesitate to make the same decision for himself that I am making now.

[Hammond walks away. Teal'c looks angry, Carter resigned. Daniel stares into space, his face set.]

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[O'Neill is sitting in front of the Stargate, his team on the view screen of what appears to be a very small video communicator.]

CARTER

(on the screen)

We're working with computer simulations and practical simulations. Realistically, sir, I'm afraid it might take years.

DANIEL

(on the screen)
The General says that Gate travel to Argos is strictly off-limits for the next few, uh, millennia…But we can send objects through, so if you need anything…just call.
(to Teal'c)

Say something.

TEAL'C

(on the screen)

Colonel…I've learned very much from you. Thank you.

CARTER

(on the screen)

You know, goodbyes really suck.

[O'Neill'S hands tremble as he studies the faces of his team; he doesn't say anything, but hits the button that turns off the power, staring at the blank screen.]

EXT—TEMPLE—DAY

[The villagers approach the temple, bearing offerings.]

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[The place their offerings at the base of the statue. O'Neill, with long white hair and age spots, hobbles over to Kynthia, Alekos, Thetys and Dan-el, who looks about eleven.]

O'NEILL
Excuse me, what are you doing?

ALEKOS
Your people do not have enough knowledge to help us. We must ask Pelops to return.

O'NEILL

(angrily)

For crying out loud!

[O'Neill grabs a dish out of a young man's hands and throws it to the ground, where it smashes. The villagers jump.]

O'NEILL

(shouting)

Old Pelops doesn't give a rat's ass about things like love! His kind kidnap people like you and take them to other worlds to be used as slaves!

ALEKOS

(in disbelief)

Pelops thinks of us as his slaves?

[The villagers looks around at each other, uneasy and worried. O'Neill watches as they express their confusion. Alekos hugs Dan-el.]

ALEKOS
Then I will no longer be one of the Chosen.

[The villagers gasp at his statement.]

THETYS

(tearfully)

Nor will I.

O'NEILL

(staring at the statue)

That's the message you ought to be sending.

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[Ropes are wrapped around the statue of Pelops; at the other end, young people from the village strain and pull. The statue topples and falls, crashing into pieces on the ground. The villagers hug each other in fear, waiting to see what will happen. When nothing does, their confidence grows.]

ALEKOS
He…he did not strike us.

[There is laughing and much relief. The villagers embrace each other. On the sidelines, Kynthia looks up at O'Neill with pride. He pats her shoulder, and she puts her hand over his.]

EXT—ARGOS BEACH—TWILIGHT

[O'Neill and Kynthia are walking on the water's edge as the sun goes down.]

O'NEILL

So, you like older men, do you?
(he turns to Kynthia, as she freezes in place)

Wh-what is it?

KYNTHIA

(fearfully)

We should go back. We have gone too far from the village. Pelops forbids it.

O'NEILL
He's gone, Kynthia. He's gone. It'll be okay. Promise.

[As Kynthia looks at him, O'Neill takes her hand and they continue their walk.]

EXT—ARGOS BEACH—NIGHT

[O'Neill is playing tic-tac-toe in the sand with Kynthia. He places an 'O', she puts in an 'X' and draws a line, winning the game.]

O'NEILL
Aw, hell. I have to teach you a game I can win.

[They both laugh.]

KYNTHIA
It is good to see you smile. Tell me, will you live the rest of your days without making love?

O'NEILL

Oh, God, I hope not.
(he laughs with Kynthia)

Ah, we'd probably just pass out.

[O'Neill looks up at the sky, enjoying the air. There's a look of dawning realization as it occurs to him that it is dark, and they are still awake.]

O'NEILL
Why aren't we unconscious yet? It should have happened already, Kynthia. Why aren't we asleep?

EXT—ARGOS—DAY

[O'Neill and Kynthia arrive at the village. It is daylight, but everyone is still fast asleep, lying on the ground.]

KYNTHIA
No one has awakened.

O'NEILL
Except for us. Why? How important is this rule that no one leave the village?

KYNTHIA
It is Pelops' first law.

O'NEILL
Then whatever it is that knocks us all out at night is right here.

KYNTHIA
What?

O'NEILL

I'll bet you and I stayed awake because we walked out of range. The cure could be as simple as gettin' the hell out of Dodge. We stay out of proximity; no sleep. They all stay here; they get no wake-up call.
(thoughtfully)

There's got to be some other variable, some other change.

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[O'Neill and Kynthia walk into the temple. Pieces of the statue still litter the floor. O'Neill notices a light flickering across the room. It's some kind of electronic device, hidden inside what used to be the base of the statue. He pulls it out and looks it over.]

O'NEILL
Excuse me. I've got a phone call to make.

[Kynthia watches him walk away, carrying the device.]

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[Teal'c, Carter and Daniel come through the wormhole, wearing hazmat suits. An aged O'Neill greets them before they can set their equipment down.]

O'NEILL

Welcome back, kids. It's damn good to see you again.
(They all stare at him.)

Don't worry. Aside from a little prostate problem we won't go into, it's not so bad.

[O'Neill, still carrying the device he found, motions for them to follow him.]

INT—TEMPLE—DAY

[SG-1 and Kynthia sit on the steps at the base of the Stargate, examining the device. The hazmat suits have vanished.]

CARTER
I was right. It's a transmitter.

DANIEL
Uh, there were two sets of glyphs that were quite tough to translate until Teal'c realized they weren't words.

TEAL'C
They were, in fact, numbers.

CARTER
Two different frequencies. One to put the villagers to sleep and to activate the nanocytes, the second one to shut it all off for the day.

DANIEL
When you broke the statue, you must have damaged the wake-up call.

O'NEILL
Can you recalibrate this thing to wake these people up?

CARTER
No, sir, it's useless. I'm going to have to use the equipment that we brought with us. I've loaded the frequency. I'm switching it on now.

[Carter flips a switch, and the equipment lights up, emitting a beeping sound.]

EXT—ARGOS—DAY

[The villagers begin waking up with yawns. They immediately notice that the sun is already high in the sky and become concerned.]

WOMAN
The sun…

THETYS

(panicked)

Alekos, the sun is already turning.

ALEKOS
Why did we wake so late?

[They look around at their surroundings, worried.]

EXT—ARGOS—DAY

[Kynthia helps O'Neill walk through the village. Carter and Daniel are at his side, Teal'c walking a few paces behind.]

TEAL'C
Our tests indicate that your body has been cleansed of the machines that plagued you.

CARTER
I figure the immune system must attack them if they aren't operating.

DANIEL

(to Kynthia)

From now on, you and your people should age at a normal rate.

KYNTHIA
What about Jack?

O'NEILL
Me? Oh, I'll probably move to Florida, get into a little retirement home of some kind.

CARTER

(grinning)

You'd look pretty out of place there at your age.

O'NEILL

(offended)

Why? I look like my grandfather.

CARTER
'Look' is the operative word here. If our hypothesis is right, the nanocytes in your system were only meant to imitate aging. They weren't meant to start the process in a full-grown adult.

O'NEILL
What are you saying to me?

CARTER
Well, without these little buggers in your system to maintain the changes, you should return to normal within a week or two.

KYNTHIA

(overjoyed)

That is wonderful news.

[Kynthia helps O'Neill sit, as his knees seem to give out abruptly.]

O'NEILL
I don't know. I was kinda looking forward to a little shuffleboard with the fellas.

[Carter and Daniel both smile, watching O'Neill closely. Teal'c looks confused.]

KYNTHIA

(sadly)

Then you are leaving?

[O'Neill looks to his teammates, letting them know he would like a moment alone with Kynthia. Carter motions to the others, indicating that they should follow her.]

KYNTHIA
You will not be staying with me then?

O'NEILL
No, I won't.

KYNTHIA
What will happen to us now if Pelops returns?

O'NEILL
I don't think that's going to happen. But just in case, we'll send some folks by now and again to check up on you.

KYNTHIA

(hopefully)

My heart would be glad if you were one of them.

O'NEILL
Sweet Kynthia, I've learned so much from you. I'll treasure every day of my life, because of you.

[Smiling, O'Neill reaches up and caresses her face. Kynthia smiles sadly.]

KYNTHIA
For thousands of days?

O'NEILL
Sure hope so.

KYNTHIA

(laughing)

That is almost forever.

O'NEILL
Almost.

[As his team look on, O'Neill leans in to give Kynthia a kiss on the cheek. Kynthia smiles, and O'Neill laughs.]

FADE OUT

ROLL CREDITS

Transcribed by Kelly for Solutions, Sep 2003

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--Kylie Lee 19:28, 5 Oct 2004 (PDT)