SGU 1.08 "Time" Transcript
Episode Guide
Précis
An away team finds a kino beside a Stargate on a jungle world, which contains video footage of the team that was shot prior to their arrival. Then, an illness cripples the team, forcing them to quarantine themselves on the planet.
Guide | Transcript
Transcript
TEASER
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
[Kino records a large group from the Destiny arriving on the planet, including Volker, Rush, Franklin, Brody, Park, Eli, James, Marsden, Greer, Scott, and Chloe.]
SCOTT
Secure the perimeter.
GREER
Welcome to the jungle.
SCOTT
Okay, let's get to work.
[There is a cut in the footage. Eli directs the kino to where he's interviewing Chloe, who's picking fruit off a tree.]
ELI
(to Chloe)
So…your first alien planet. Everything you expected? More? Less?
CHLOE
We saw what it was going to be like on the kino.
ELI
Eh. True.
CHLOE
But it is nice to get off the ship. Get some fresh air. Even if it is a bit sticky.
ELI
So you're not nervous at all? Afraid some giant alien insect is going to come out and bite you?
[He mock snarls. Chloe looks at him with a skeptical and nervous expression.]
ELI
(abashed)
Sorry, I'm sure it's perfectly safe.
CHLOE
Everyone has to pitch in and do their share.
SCOTT
(passing behind them)
Including you, Eli.
[There is a cut in the kino footage. It turns on again as Eli sits down and takes a drink from a canteen. He notices Marsden staring down at him while on guard duty.]
ELI
What? I need a break. So hot. All you're doing is standing there.
MARSDEN
Making sure nothing crawls up your ass.
ELI
And I appreciate that.
[Eli adjusts the kino to pan around. It catches Scott and Chloe flirting with each other until interrupted by Volker passing between them.]
CHLOE
Stop it.
[Another break in the kino footage. Eli now interviews Lt. James digging in the dirt.]
ELI
So…how's it going?
JAMES
Good.
ELI
Digging?
JAMES
Yup.
ELI
You doing okay? In general?
JAMES
(tightly)
I'm fine.
ELI
Good. Good. That's excellent.
[They turn, hearing others laughing uproariously nearby. Eli directs the kino over to TJ and Marsden.]
ELI
What's so funny?
TJ
(laughing)
Oh, nothing.
[They try and control their laughter, but it makes it worse. Marsden walks away.]
ELI
No, no. Seriously. You're laughing pretty hard. Come on, tell me. Why won't you tell me? It's about me, isn't it? TJ…
[There is another cut in the kino footage. Now the group of them are gathered around a blanket, looking at the various flora that's been gathered.]
CHLOE
How are we supposed to know what's safe to eat?
TJ
We can't know for sure…
ELI
What's that saying? "A starving man, and…"
[He takes a bite of something. After a moment, he spits it out in disgust.]
SCOTT
Well, maybe it wasn't ripe.
ELI
(tossing rest of fruit)
Try it.
SCOTT
Uh, no. No thanks.
[Eli reaches for another fruit, but Rush grabs his arm.]
RUSH
You just exposed yourself now.
ELI
Come on, seriously?
TJ
If you had a reaction, you wouldn't know which one caused it.
[Brody comes over, shifting nervously.]
BRODY
Uh, Volker just…puked.
[There is a break in the kino footage. It restarts very close to Volker's face as he sits on a stump, TJ nearby. Volker looks pale and nauseous.]
TJ
Have you eaten anything here?
[Volker shakes his head in the negative.]
TJ
(spots kino zooming)
Eli…
ELI
(chastised)
Ooh, sorry. Sorry.
[The kino is pulled back.]
TJ
Are you staying hydrated?
[Volker nods.]
TJ
Okay, what about the numbness? Or how about your vision?
VOLKER
No, it's…my head's pounding. My neck's a little…
[Volker faints.]
TJ
Oh!
[She and Scott hurry to try and soften his fall.]
SCOTT
We should get him back to the ship. Eli, dial back.
[Eli heads over to the Stargate.]
SCOTT
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey….
[While everyone fools with Volker, Chloe falls forward in a faint.]
RUSH
Whoa!
PARK
Oh!
[Rush starts to move toward her, but Park and Franklin get there first.]
[There is another break in the kino footage. When it starts up, Chloe is sitting up and drinking water. Everyone is gathered near the Stargate.]
CHLOE
I don't know. I just started feeling dizzy. It came on pretty fast.
TJ
(feeling her forehead)
It feels like you're running a temperature.
CHLOE
I thought it was just the heat.
TJ
Is your neck bothering you?
CHLOE
Yeah, it just started. Stiff at the back mostly.
SCOTT
Eli?
ELI
Right, I'm on it.
[He starts to dial the Stargate using the kino remote.]
SCOTT
(loudly)
Okay, guys, listen up. Get your stuff, we're bugging out.
[The group begins to gather their equipment. TJ hurries to Scott's side.]
TJ
(low, to Scott)
Hey, wait, wait. We can't leave. If it's something that they got here, it could be contagious.
SCOTT
So what are we supposed to do?
[Rush leans in to overhear.]
TJ
We have thirty-six hours before the Destiny leaves. For the sake of everyone else on board, I say…we wait.
SCOTT
Here? For what?
TJ
At least for a little while. Just see how this plays out.
[Scott heads over to Eli. Rush spots the kino recording everything, and he smacks it off.]
END TEASER
OPENING CREDIT
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
[The wormhole is active. TJ speaks into her radio.]
TJ
It could be anything, really, a virus, a bacteria. There's no way to know if it's airborne.
YOUNG
(over radio)
You've only been there three hours.
TJ
I know. If it's something they picked up locally, then the progression is unfolding quickly. Sir, until we know more, I'm recommending that we don't return to the Destiny with anything that might be contagious.
YOUNG
(over radio)
Roger that.
TJ
Let us know if anyone on board is exhibiting similar symptoms. At least, that way we'll know for sure if it has nothing to do with this planet.
YOUNG
(over radio)
Will do. Check in every hour regardless.
SCOTT
(into radio)
Copy that.
YOUNG
(over radio)
Young out.
[Rush shrugs in exasperation. The kino shuts off.]
[New kino footage. As time passes and they wait, loud rock music plays through a speaker.]
SCOTT
Shut it off, Greer.
[Greer turns off the music. He spots something in the distance and moves off. Eli moves the kino to a corner where Rush and TJ have been arguing.]
RUSH
You must have some suspicions. I've seen you giving them shots.
TJ
I started them both on high doses of antibiotics. I hate to waste it, but given the symptoms of headache, fever and neck pain, it's better to be safe than sorry.
RUSH
Okay, so what is it? Bacterial meningitis?
TJ
I don't know. But if it turns out that's what it is, and I haven't done anything, they could die quickly.
RUSH
(incredulous)
You don't know. You're using up our antibiotics on a hunch?
TJ
Yes, that was my judgment call.
RUSH
(sarcastic)
That's great.
[Rush storms off.]
[There is a brief cut in footage of Scott rubbing the back of his neck as if in discomfort while sitting next to Chloe.]
[Eli, with the kino still recording, follows Scott, Rush, and Greer through the jungle.]
ELI
I thought you said it wasn't far.
GREER
It's not.
[The kino catches Scott rubbing his neck again.]
ELI
You doing okay?
SCOTT
Yeah, fine.
GREER
Over here.
ELI
Whoa! What is that smell?
RUSH
It's sulphur.
[There are several large three foot tall mounds sticking up from the ground with holes in the center.]
ELI
I'd hate to see the ants who made those.
[Rush covers his face with a handkerchief and looks inside.]
ELI
Oh, hey! Hello! Haven't you seen Alien?
[Rush coughs and leans back, still trying to use his flashlight to see inside.]
GREER
You think that's what's making people sick?
RUSH
I don't know.
GREER
They make chemical weapons from this stuff.
RUSH
Yeah, I know. But we don't know the exact compound or concentration.
[Eli moves forward to peek in the hole, but quickly moves back.]
ELI
Whoa!
GREER
Oh, well there's more over here.
RUSH
No, no, it's all right. I believe you.
GREER
Look, I'm just saying, I know she doesn't want to make anybody else on the ship sick, but what if staying us here…is going to kill us?
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, NIGHT
[At this stage, it is night and raining. The kino records the group hunkered down. Eli and Rush share a makeshift tarp in the downpour.]
ELI
(optimistically)
Well, this couldn't get much worse.
RUSH
I'm afraid that's a failure of imagination.
ELI
Top five desert island movies.
(off Rush's uninterested look)
What? It'll help pass the time. Okay, I'll go first. Hackers. Obvious, I know. The Matrix. Old School. You got to have something to make you laugh. Right? If trilogies count as one, then all three original Star Wars, but if-if only one, then-then Empire. Uh, that's four. Man, this is hard. I could pick so many. Maybe it should be top ten!
SCOTT
TJ?
TJ
Yeah?
[Rush leaves the tarp to listen to Scott and TJ, leaving Eli talking to himself.]
ELI
Good Will Hunting has got to be there somewhere.
SCOTT
James is not doing well.
TJ
Where is she?
ELI
Uh…uh…
[Eli looks at the camera, insulted at Rush's action.]
RUSH
How many does that make now?
TJ
Uh, that's Chloe, Volker, Marsden, and Franklin.
SCOTT
Now James, too.
TJ
(to Scott)
Wait a minute, let me look at your eyes.
SCOTT
Nah, I'm fine.
TJ
No, you're not. You need a shot too.
[There is a scream and an inhuman squeal. The kino moves to where Greer and other military are firing at creatures in the forest that are attacking from the ground and trees. Brody writhes on the ground, a creature like a snake eating into his chest.]
RUSH
(panicked, to Eli)
Dial out! Dial the gate!
[There is a brief cut in the footage.]
RUSH
(into radio)
Destiny come in. If you can hear me, please respond!
[The wormhole is unstable, cutting in and out. The military continue to fire at attacking flying creatures.]
ELI
What's wrong?
RUSH
I don't know!
ELI
Why is it doing that?
GREER
We've got to get out of here!
WLI
We can't!
ELI
(panicked)
Why is it doing that?!
[More gunfire as they try and fight these alien creatures that chitter around. The kino gets knocked to the ground by a gun shot. From its view, Chloe falls to the ground, stabbed through the chest by a snakelike creature. She lies dead, the creature eating its way out of her back before scuttling off.]
INT—KINO ROOM
[Scott, Eli, an alive Chloe, Rush, and Young are all watching this kino footage on the monitor screen. Chloe starts to retch at seeing her "dead self" eviscerated and runs out of the room to vomit.]
ELI
(stunned)
Okay…what the…
INT—CONTROL ROOM
[Brody enters. Volker and Park are manning stations.]
BRODY
Hey, did you guys hear?
VOLKER
Yeah, there was a kino already there?
PARK
How is that possible?
BRODY
We dropped out of FTL, the 'gate dialed, and we sent a kino to check out the planet.
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
[Rush, Scott, and Eli are in the kino footage. Eli stares from the kino filming him to the ground.]
BRODY
(voiceover)
They go through, and there's already one already there lying on the ground not far from the gate.
ELI
Hey, guys? We only sent one kino, right?
[Eli picks up the second kino from the ground.]
INT—CONTROL ROOM
BRODY
Turns out the databank was full.
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
ELI
Looks like the databank is full.
[Rush shrugs in puzzlement.]
INT—MESS HALL
[Greer and James are sitting at a table. Spencer joins them.]
GREER
Well, what's on it?
JAMES
Us.
SPENCER
What do you mean "us"?
JAMES
(shrugging)
They're watching the recording now, but I heard that a bunch of us are on it.
[Greer and Spencer exchange looks.]
SPENCER
Doing what?
JAMES
Going through the 'gate to the planet to gather food. Then apparently some people started getting sick. I think that I was one of them.
SPENCER
But that didn't happen.
JAMES
Obviously.
SPENCER
You're fine, right?
JAMES
Apparently…
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
[Footage from the kino shows Rush contemplating a decomposed human skull.]
JAMES
(voiceover)
…they found human remains too.
INT—MESS HALL
JAMES
It's weird, huh?
INT—KINO ROOM
[Chloe rejoins the others.]
SCOTT
(concerned)
You okay?
CHLOE
Yeah, it just hit me.
TJ
You're sure you're okay otherwise?
CHLOE
Yeah.
ELI
(chuckling)
Pretty understandable.
CHLOE
Not to me.
ELI
I was talking about the barfing.
CHLOE
(annoyed)
I was moving on. How is this possible?
RUSH
I don't know.
ELI
Oh! What about an alternate reality?
[Everyone stares blank faced at Eli.]
TJ
Sir, given the illness that developed on the planet, I suggest that we quarantine everyone who went through to retrieve this kino.
YOUNG
Scott, Greer, Eli and Rush.
TJ
And everyone they came in contact with since returning.
YOUNG
Well, that's all of us.
TJ
Here. I'll have to coordinate on radio. Brody was also in the Gate Room when they got back.
ELI
We were only there for, like, a half-hour at most.
TJ
That's more than enough time to come in contact with a contagion.
SCOTT
No, wait a second. You're worried because people got sick on this recording, which…never happened.
RUSH
Well, we don't know that.
YOUNG
What are you saying?
RUSH
Well, that is clearly us. The recording happened somehow.
ELI
What do you think was wrong with the 'gate?
RUSH
It looks like the wormhole connection was unstable. It would've been extremely dangerous to even attempt travel.
TJ
Sir?
YOUNG
Go.
[TJ departs.]
ELI
So…keep watching?
[Young nods. The footage is still paused on the image of dead Chloe.]
CHLOE
Can you fast forward, please?
ELI
Yeah.
[Eli nods and adjusts the kino monitor. It switches over to footage of Eli looking directly at the camera next to a military helmet.]
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
[Eli talks to the camera, moving the kino physically and shakily as he straps it onto the helmet using duct tape.]
ELI
(upset)
Chloe's dead. James, Spencer, Marsden, Brody…all dead. Something's wrong with the 'gate. Rush doesn't think we can risk using it, even with what's happened. We can't reach Destiny on radio, either. So, apparently we're trapped here. There's twenty-two hours until Destiny jumps back into FTL. The creatures…seem to be nocturnal. They stopped coming once the sun came up. Hopefully the 'gate will start working before it gets dark again. Apparently, we don't have much ammunition left.
RUSH
(offscreen)
Eli, what are you doing?
[Eli puts on the helmet. The camera now shows the survivors: TJ, Franklin, Greer, and Rush. Scott lies on a blanket, a wound on his neck. The camera shuts down.]
[Later the kino records Eli showing Volker's body under a sheet.]
ELI
Volker wasn't killed by the creatures. TJ says he died of the illness during the night. Everyone seems to be coming down with symptoms at this point.
RUSH
(scolding)
Eli!
[Eli and Franklin are trying to weave together a makeshift gurney for Scott out of small tree branches.]
ELI
Do I need to point out yet again that documenting this could be important!
INT—KINO ROOM
[Eli gestures emphatically at how they're now all studying this kino footage.]
ELI
(defensively)
See! See!
FRANKLIN
(on kino monitor)
Who do you think is ever going to see that?
ELI
(arguing with monitor)
Us. Us! We are!
GREER
(on monitor)
You look ridiculous.
ELI
(on monitor)
It won't fly. If someone hadn't shot it!
[Eli in the kino room glares at Greer, who stares at him, deadpan. Scott quirks a grin behind Eli.]
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
ELI
Scott was bitten by one of the creatures. He's now in a coma.
TJ
Eli, you okay?
ELI
Huh. Compared to most everyone else…
[He pans his head and the helmet cam to the bodies laid out and covered by blankets and tarps.]
INT—KINO ROOM
[Greer can't watch anymore and leaves.]
YOUNG
(calling after Greer)
Don't go too far. We are under quarantine.
[They continue watching the footage.]
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
RUSH
Eli! Sergeant Greer has found a cave nearby. It could be our best chance to survive another night, if it comes down to that.
FRANKLIN
(irritated)
We could use some help.
[Eli heads towards them.]
RUSH
Good man.
[There is a break in the footage. Rush, Greer, Franklin and TJ each carry a corner of Scott's gurney.]
ELI
My turn.
[Eli drops the pack he's been carrying and then goes to take over TJ's corner.]
ELI
Oh, sorry.
INT—CAVE
[Eli watches as Greer and Rush stand just outside the cave, looking at the surroundings.]
GREER
So at least it's a defensible position.
RUSH
Backs to the wall.
GREER
Eh, better than being exposed from all sides.
[Later, Eli checks the camera of the kino, then turns it to TJ who is collapsing from exhaustion.]
ELI
(to TJ)
I have a lot of respect for people who do what you do. It's not easy. I can tell it-it really affects you when you-you can't help people.
TJ
(hoarsely)
It does.
ELI
My mom was a nurse. She got stuck by a needle trying to restrain a junkie in the ER. She got HIV.
INT—KINO ROOM
[Eli stays quiet, looking sad. Chloe watches him sympathetically.]
INT—CAVE
TJ
I'm sorry.
ELI
My father couldn't handle it. He just…He just left. I was fourteen at the time.
TJ
That must've been hard on you.
ELI
Mmm. Do you have a family?
TJ
My parents. My dad's retired.
ELI
What'd he do?
TJ
(smiling in remembrance)
He was a tailor. He-he's actually the one who taught me how to do stitches.
[Eli chuckles.]
TJ
I remember this one time he-he cut himself pretty badly with some scissors. He sewed it up himself, and he kept right on working.
ELI
Brothers or sisters?
TJ
(she sobers)
A sister. She has two kids. I miss them.
ELI
I'm really afraid that my mom's just going to give up if I die out here.
INT—KINO ROOM
[The Eli watching closes his eyes. Chloe watches him, and Scott squeezes him on the shoulder comfortingly.]
INT—CAVE
[Time has passed and now Eli speaks to Rush while TJ checks on Scott. Franklin too is supine.]
ELI
I remember as a kid, I was, I don't know, maybe seven or eight, my grandfather died, and my parents took me to the funeral. Watching his casket getting lowered into the ground, It-it was the first time that I realized I was going to die one day. I-I mean, I knew people died. I-I'm talking about the idea that my consciousness was going to end. I-I wasn't going to see what happened to the world. It was such an empty, dark feeling…
INT—KINO ROOM
[Chloe and Rush each watch with indescribable expressions as Eli describes his grief on the monitor.]
ELI
(continuing on monitor)
…like I was falling down a pitch dark hole. It was…scared the crap out of me.
RUSH
(on monitor)
I take you don't believe in the afterlife.
[Scott shoots Chloe a sympathetic look but looks down when he realizes Chloe is riveted to the screen.]
ELI
(on monitor)
That fear was almost too much to handle. I guess maybe I thought…
[Young continues to watch the footage.]
INT—CAVE
ELI
I'd just get used to it.
RUSH
But you don't.
ELI
No. No, it scared me just as much, every time.
INT—KINO ROOM
[Eli looks vulnerable as he listens to this soul-baring conversation.]
RUSH
(on monitor)
Most people realize their own mortality at some stage of the game, Eli. It's not a particularly unique experience.
[Rush blinks as he listens.]
ELI
(annoyed, on monitor)
I know.
INT—CAVE
RUSH
The question is, did it change you? Did it inspire you to make something of this short existence that we have?
ELI
(caustic)
Well, I'm here…aren't I?
RUSH
Of course the Ancients evolved to a point where their physical bodies were no longer necessary. Found a way for consciousness to become immortal.
ELI
You really think that's possible?
RUSH
I know it is. Maybe not for you and me. But that idea…it's the reason why I ended up here.
ELI
So…you think, if we learn enough, that-that somehow, somewhere out there, we-we could discover how it's done?
RUSH
(pausing for a moment)
We have to make it through the day.
INT—GATE ROOM
[Greer sits on a stairwell in the empty room. Young enters and approaches.]
YOUNG
Hey…you, uh, you okay?
GREER
It didn't happen.
YOUNG
Well, it's, uh, not clear what happened.
GREER
(insistent)
I know I didn't go to that planet and have all those people die under my watch.
YOUNG
It wasn't your fault, Sergeant. It didn't look like there was anything you could've done differently.
GREER
(sharply)
I am not interested in what did not happen.
(belatedly, softer)
Sir.
YOUNG
Regardless of how that recording came into existence, avoiding the issue is simple. We just don't go back to that planet.
GREER
Doesn't bother you?
YOUNG
Like you said, it didn't happen. Just a story, right? Now, I am curious to find out how it turns out, though.
[Young leaves.]
GREER
Not me.
INT—KINO ROOM
[Young returns to the room to see Scott catching a collapsing Chloe.]
SCOTT
Whoa!
YOUNG
What just happened?
SCOTT
Uh, she started complaining that her head hurt. She just dropped.
RUSH
It's been three hours since we dropped out of FTL.
ELI
That's about the time people began to get sick on the planet in the recording.
INT—INFIRMARY
[Scott carries Chloe into the room. TJ is already triaging James.]
YOUNG
TJ?
TJ
(she points to a bed)
Yeah, over here. Right here. You said she just passed out? I've got four more cases. So far, everyone who went to the planet or came in contact with someone who did.
YOUNG
Can it be contained?
TJ
I don't know. But whatever it is, it's extremely virulent.
YOUNG
On the, uh, kino recording, Eli said Volker died because of it.
TJ
(concerned)
How quickly?
YOUNG
Within twelve hours.
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
[Greer is demonstrating a rifle to Eli and his helmet kino.]
GREER
M-4 carbine. Hold the grip firmly, stock braced against your shoulder. It's got a kick. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to kill whatever it is you're pointing at. Short bursts. We don't got much ammo. Go ahead.
ELI
(awed)
Ooh, you mean, shoot for real?
[Eli points the gun straight ahead…and directly at Greer.]
GREER
(gesturing away from him)
That way.
ELI
Okay.
GREER
(off camera)
Safety's off.
[Eli fires the automatic weapon several times, obliterating a sapling.]
ELI
(laughing)
Whoa! Oh man.
GREER
What happened to short bursts?
[The kino cuts out. Eli is now behind a stump watching Greer place C-4 into one of those sulphur pods they noticed earlier. Greer rejoins Eli.]
ELI
You sure they're down there?
GREER
Saw 'em go home last night.
[He sets up the detonator to the C-4.]
ELI
You really think this is a good idea?
GREER
The best defense is offense. Fire in the hole.
ELI
(excited)
Yeah. Literally.
[Greer hits the switch and the pod explodes.]
ELI
I hope we didn't just piss them off.
[They go investigate.]
ELI
(excited)
Oh… Okay…
[Greer shoots Eli a look.]
ELI
Sorry.
[They approach the stump, which is blown up.]
ELI
Oh…wow.
[They move forward to find the ground scattered with dead and dying creatures. Greer shoots the ones that are still alive and chirping.]
ELI
O-kay. That's disgusting.
GREER
Come on. We've got more of these things to hit.
ELI
Uh-huh.
[He follows Greer.]
INT—CAVE
[The kino vision switches to TJ checking on Franklin. Rush and Greer are entering from the jungle. They are wet from the heavy thunderstorm outside.]
TJ
His pulse is very weak.
ELI
Did using the other remote help?
RUSH
We were able to get a connection, but the wormhole is still unstable. Nothing from Destiny on the radio.
ELI
Well, is it broken, or is there a chance it could resolve by itself?
RUSH
(shaking his head)
There are a number of things that could be causing temporary interference.
ELI
Well, we have eleven hours until Destiny is supposed to jump back into FTL.
RUSH
There's no way of telling how long it's going to last.
ELI
And I guess it would be crazy to just try and go anyway?
RUSH
Look, we can't assume that the 'gate is actually even connecting to Destiny. There'd be very little chance of surviving an unstable wormhole.
[TJ has collapsed next to Franklin, weak.]
TJ
(wistful)
A fire would be nice.
GREER
I couldn't find any dry wood.
TJ
(weakly chuckling)
Huh.
INT—INFIRMARY
[Scott is at Chloe's bedside amongst the several ill people. TJ sighs as she approaches him.]
TJ
Are they still watching the recording?
SCOTT
Yeah.
TJ
(quietly)
I don't know what to do. They just keep showing up, and I don't have nearly enough antibiotics for all these people. It would help if I knew the cause.
[Scott spots Park leaning heavily on a console. TJ goes over to her.]
TJ
You're not feeling good?
PARK
No.
TJ
Just go slow.
[TJ walks Park into a larger chamber where several more of the crew are already lying on blankets and cots as more cots are being set up.]
INT—CAVE
[It is night in the jungle outside. Greer, Rush, and Eli are set up with spotlights looking out on guard, their weapons ready. It is raining heavily.]
ELI
See anything?
RUSH
No.
ELI
Good. Maybe we got them all today.
[There is a flash of lightning, and Eli starts, the helmet kino jumping.]
ELI
Did you see that? Did you see something. I thin-I think I saw something!
GREER
(patiently)
If you see anything move out there, don't ask. Just shoot.
ELI
Right. Right. Okay.
[Eli notices that the spotlight set up behind him fades to nothing.]
ELI
Hey…Hey, I think batteries in this one are dead.
[He taps the light, but nothing happens.]
INT—KINO ROOM
ELI
(irritated)
The kino has night vision. Why didn't I turn it on?
[On the screen, the footage turns to night vision setting as the Eli in the footage activates it, looking at the monitor.]
ELI
Oh, never mind.
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, NIGHT, VIA NIGHT VISION
[The helmet kino using the night vision feature scans the jungle. Several creatures approach them, crawling closer. TJ, Greer, Rush, and Eli all fire on the creatures with machine guns.]
ELI
Oh my god.
[He runs out of ammunition in his magazine. Rush and Greer continue to fire.]
GREER
Come on! Come on!
INT—KINO ROOM
[Greer has rejoined Young and the others in watching the footage. Eli looks around at them worriedly.]
ELI
I don't think we're going to make it.
INT—CAVE
[Eli checks his magazine and shakes it; it's empty. He looks up to see more shooting.]
RUSH
I'm out!
[Rush scrambles to open the ammunition case.]
ELI
Come on, come on, come on. Gimme!
[Rush ignores Eli, finding the pack empty. Instead, he picks up something and charges directly into the jungle through the creatures.]
ELI
Hey! Hey! Where are you going?! He's crazy! You're crazy!
[Greer is continuing to scream and fire.]
INT—KINO ROOM
[Eli turns to his Rush.]
ELI
You are!
[Rush shrugs helplessly. They turn back to the footage.]
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, NIGHT
[Eli and his helmet cam are chasing Rush through the jungle, dodging the creatures skittering at them.]
ELI
Come back! Wait!
[Eli trips, and the helmet cam's light comes back on, bathing the jungle in light again.]
ELI
Son of a…
[Eli reaches the Stargate to find Rush has dialed it. The wormhole is still unstable. Rush is about to jump through.]
ELI
Wait! Stop!
RUSH
Someone's got to try. Look, I'll radio if I make it. You'll know it's safe.
ELI
If? B-but you said that…
RUSH
(with manic grin)
Hey, for a moment there, I thought we were in trouble.
[He runs and leaps through the flickering wormhole.]
ELI
What?!
INT—KINO ROOM
[Eli pauses the footage turns to Rush, who is still processing how the Rush on the monitor just sacrificed himself.]
ELI
(puzzled)
"For a moment there, I thought we were in trouble?"
[Rush opens his mouth to respond, but Young answers first.]
YOUNG
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It's uh, Butch's last line before he and Sundance run out to face the Bolivians. One of my favorites, too.
RUSH
(dryly)
Well, well. We do have something in common after all.
YOUNG
(nodding for him to continue)
Eli…
[Eli starts up the footage again.]
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, NIGHT
ELI
Destiny? Come in!
[The wormhole shuts down.]
ELI
Oh.
[He starts to make his way through the jungle. He hears Greer whooping in the distance, still firing.]
ELI
Greer!
[He reaches the cave to see one of the creatures striking Greer in the leg, knocking him down. Greer yells and writhes in pain.]
ELI
Oh my god. Oh my…Gr—…
INT—KINO ROOM
[Greer, Rush, and Eli watch somberly. TJ enters.]
TJ
Colonel Young. Doctor Rush.
INT—INFIRMARY
[Rush watch microorganisms move through a microscope slide.]
RUSH
What is it?
TJ
Some sort of microorganism.
YOUNG
Something brought back from the planet?
TJ
Not the planet they just went to, the planet you and Scott went to. The ice planet.
YOUNG
That was weeks ago. How do you know?
RUSH
(realizing)
This is a sample of the water we've been drinking, isn't it?
TJ
When people outside the quarantine started coming down with symptoms, I knew we needed to look for another common source.
YOUNG
But we tested it at the time.
TJ
At the time, we couldn't see it. The microscope just wasn't powerful enough, and the organism was just too small.
RUSH
Well, it isn't now.
TJ
It's possible that a batch of water wasn't purified properly, and it contaminated the rest.
YOUNG
So we've all got it.
TJ
Well, everyone's immune system is different. The time it takes for symptoms to emerge will vary. But once it's strong enough to pass from the blood to the nervous system, it works fast. And the antibiotics won't cut it.
RUSH
(fatalistic)
"Well, for a moment there, I thought we were in trouble."
INT—CAVE
[The helmet kino is on its side. Scott awakens from the makeshift gurney. He looks around and spots Eli lying prone, helmet kino askew but facing Scott. Scott races to Eli's side, propping him up and spotting where a creature has torn through Eli's shoulder; he is dead.]
SCOTT
Eli…Eli? Eli… Oh my god. Oh my god.
[He gets up and looks around, gasping in horror as he realizes there is nothing but bodies around him. Scott keens in grief, dropping to his knees in the middle of the cave. He sobs.]
SCOTT
Oh god. Oh!
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, DAY
[Scott has taken Eli's kino from his helmet and speaks directly into it. Offscreen, the unstable wormhole flickers.]
SCOTT
(crying)
It's forty-five minutes until Destiny jumps back into FTL. Everyone here is dead, except me. I don't remember much after we were attacked the first night. One of the creatures bit me, and I lost consciousness. I was starting to-to feel sick: headache, pain in the back of the neck. The bite still hurts like a bitch, but everything else is…is better. Um, the 'gate still doesn't seem to be working. I-I can't reach Destiny on the radio. I'm hoping it's just a communications problem, and that everything else is…is okay up there. I'm sending this through, and I am expecting that you will send some sort of a signal that it is safe to proceed. I will wait as long as I can, and then I'll head through regardless. On my own, I likely won't survive the night here.
[Scott tosses the kino through. There is a brief vision of a wormhole effect and then the kino drops out back on the same jungle planet. Rush's body is collapsed on the ground, in the same area where Rush in prior kino footage had found a human skull.]
INT—KINO ROOM
[Eli and Young turn to Rush. Eli pauses the footage.]
ELI
(confused)
What just happened?!
RUSH
It went back in time.
[Rush leaves the room. Young, Greer, and Eli follow.]
INT—GATE ROOM
YOUNG
What are you doing?
RUSH
Making sure it hasn't happened yet.
ELI
What hasn't happened yet?
[Rush starts to dial the Stargate.]
RUSH
A solar flare. It's the only explanation. If a wormhole's trajectory takes it too close to a star, and it passes through an active solar flare, it can cause it to move forwards or backwards in time. In some cases, the wormhole can actually loop back around and connect to the same 'gate at a different time, in this case, the past.
[The Stargate is dialing.]
ELI
Whoa, whoa. Okay, this is making my brain hurt. Uh…Oh, my god. Back to the Future.
[Greer rolls his eyes.]
ELI
How can I not put that on my list?
RUSH
The "us" on that recording dropped out of FTL and went to the planet. Some time later, a solar flare occurred, preventing normal gate travel.
ELI
So, Scott thought that he was sending the kino back to the Destiny, but he was actually sending it back to the planet, but in the past.
[Rush nods.]
ELI
God, that is so weird to think that was really us on the kino.
RUSH
Us in a previous, unaltered timeline, modified now by the introduction of the kino from the future.
GREER
Why are we dialing the 'gate back there?
[The Stargate activates.]
RUSH
(studying console)
As I said, to make sure the solar flare that disrupted gate travel hasn't happened yet.
(checking the readouts)
Thankfully, it hasn't.
GREER
why do we care about that?
RUSH
Because I think we might have to go back there.
INT—KINO ROOM
[They replay some of the footage for TJ to watch. Scott is also there.]
SCOTT
(on kino footage)
I was starting to feel sick. Headache, pain in the back of the neck. The bite still hurts like a bitch, but everything else is better.
TJ
It's possible, I guess. The venoms of various animals: snakes, spiders, scorpions, they've all been tested for their antibiotic properties.
SCOTT
Are you saying that…thing that bit me can actually cure what's making everybody sick?
TJ
You fell into a coma. It obviously releases some sort of venom when it bites. You apparently survived, said you were feeling better.
ELI
But, you're just…guessing! And those things were…well…
TJ
Based on this video, people are going to die from this infection, and quickly. I know it seems like a wild stab in the dark, but I don't know what else to do.
YOUNG
We've all been exposed. So it's just a matter of time before we all get it, right?
[TJ nods.]
GREER
I'll go, sir.
YOUNG
Not by yourself, you won't.
[Scott also nods.]
INT—GATE ROOM
[Scott, Young, Greer, and Marsden are geared up, preparing to go through the Stargate. Scott pauses, in pain. Young notices him.]
YOUNG
We don't need liabilities, Scott.
SCOTT
(inhaling and straightening)
Well, I'm good to go, sir.
ELI
Getting kino visuals. It's nighttime, and oh, hey, surprise, surprise. It's raining.
SCOTT
Which means those things will probably be out.
GREER
Well, that's too bad. They were easy pickings when they were sleeping in their nests during the day.
YOUNG
We can't wait.
ELI
According to the time stamps on the recording, you have an hour until the first team lost contact because of the solar flare.
RUSH
Forty-five minutes to be safe.
SCOTT
How many do you think we'll need?
TJ
Hopefully a small dosage of the venom will do it.
SCOTT
Dead or alive?
TJ
Alive, preferably. I can't exactly anticipate the physiology.
YOUNG
Not much time.
RUSH
Good luck.
[Greer, Marsden, Young, and Scott leave. TJ catches Rush rubbing the back of his neck.]
INT—MAKESHIFT INFIRMARY
[There are several people lying on cots or the floor. Eli sits by Chloe's side holding her hand. She is unconscious. TJ sighs.]
ELI
What?
TJ
Her pulse is very weak. I just want you to be prepared. I'm not sure she's going to make it.
ELI
(shaking his head in denial)
Of course she is.
[TJ nods and leaves.]
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, NIGHT
[Scott studies the kino night vision oh the controller as they all search for the creatures around the Stargate.]
INT—INFIRMARY
[TJ stares down, silently crying as she looks at James's still form.]
PARK
We're out of antibiotics.
[TJ breaks out of her reverie and folds the blanket over James's corpse. Park gasps in shock. Eli is nearby still by Chloe.]
ELI
Why do people always wait until times like these to tell someone how they really feel? It's so stupid. I-I just…Ah, screw it. We haven't known each other that long, but I think…we make each other happy. When I'm near you, things's are just…better.
(sadly laughing)
You don't even know how amazing you are…Doesn't matter. I've never had a best…friend before. Never. Never known anyone like that before. Never loved… Uh…
[TJ wipes her nose on her sleeve, looking from Eli down to James.]
ELI
I just…I need to make sure that you know…that I'm here for you. Always will be. Please don't die.
[TJ comes over and checks Chloe's pulse.]
TJ
(gently)
Eli…she's gone.
[They share shocked grief. Eli leaves. Park is weeping as TJ covers Chloe's body with a blanket.]
INT—CORRIDOR
[Park approaches TJ, weeping alone in a corner. She kneels down beside her and hands her a handkerchief.]
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, NIGHT
[The team continues to hunt for the creatures, using flashlights.]
MARSDEN
I don't see anything!
SCOTT
They got to be here somewhere.
RUSH
(over radio)
Colonel Young, this is Rush.
YOUNG
(into radio)
I read you, go ahead.
[The conversation switches between the jungle and Destiny.]
RUSH
Checking in.
YOUNG
Nothing yet. It's raining pretty hard.
RUSH
(into radio)
I'm sorry to have to tell you, but we've already lost four people: Doctors Franklin, Volker, Lieutenant James, and Chloe.
[Scott freezes in shock.]
YOUNG
(into radio)
Copy that. Check in again in ten minutes.
(to Scott)
Lieutenant. Lieutenant, we need you. Scott….Scott! We need you.
[Scott pushes back his grief and looks back at Young.]
YOUNG
We need you.
[There is a chittering overhead. One of the creatures attacks Greer. He yells in pain, shooting off his rifle. Young pulls the creature off Greer, but too late. Another attacks Marsden. Scott continues to fire as Young goes down, a creature burrowing into his chest. He screams in horror as it does so. Scott stares in horror at his dead colleagues, then spots the kino remote. He grabs it and runs toward the Stargate, firing at creatures on the way. He reaches the ramp and drops his pack.]
INT—GATE ROOM
[The Stargate activates. Rush, sits on the staircase. Eli stands nearby.]
RUSH
(into radio)
Colonel Young, come in please. Colonel Young, do you read?
EXT—JUNGLE PLANET, NIGHT
SCOTT
(speaking into kino, upset)
If you've found this, it's because a solar flare interfered with gate travel, and I managed to send this kino back in time. All right, listen very carefully. There is a disease in the water we brought back from the ice planet. It is fatal, and we have all been drinking it.
[There is chittering in the background.]
SCOTT
(into kino)
But there is hope! There's a-a creature that lives on this planet, lots of them actually, that could hold the key to saving you. In small doses, their venom actually cures the disease. But be very careful, they're-they're deadly. They're also nocturnal. They only come out at night. You can get them during the day while they're asleep in their nest. They're not far from the 'gate.
[He looks to the wormhole. One of the creatures comes up to attack Scott, but he hears it coming and shoots it before it can strike. He picks up the kino and checks his watch.]
SCOTT
(to wormhole)
Come on!
[A minute later, the wormhole starts to become unstable.]
SCOTT
(desperate, into kino)
Please believe me, you don't have much time. Act now, or you are all going to die.
FADE OUT
END CREDITS
Transcribed by Aurora Novarum, November 2009
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--Michelle 03:44, 15 November 2009 (UTC)