Stargate Universe s01e08 Episode Script

Time

Destiny.
The design is clearly Ancient.
Launched hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Where the hell are we? Several billion light years from home.
We are on a ship, but we have no idea where we are in relation to Earth.
This ship could be the most important discovery mankind has made since the stargate itself.
These are the wrong people in the wrong place.
I've got a lot of wounded.
We need to get home.
We barely have enough power to operate the main systems.
This ship simply doesn't have the capability to dial Earth.
Looks like we entered the Hoth system.
Minus 47 degrees Celsius.
Ooh! Nasty planet.
How are we going to cut the ice? Plasma cutter.
Should cut through the ice like butter.
It's Dr.
Rush.
What's your status? We got pure ice.
We should be able to break it up into manageable pieces and haul it back.
Secure the perimeter.
Welcome to the jungle.
Okay, let's get to work! So, your first alien planet.
Everything you expected? More? Less? We saw what it was gonna be like on the Kino.
True.
But it is nice to get off the ship, get some fresh air.
Even if it is a bit sticky.
So you're not nervous at all? Afraid some giant alien insect is going to come out and bite you? Sorry.
I'm sure it's perfectly safe.
Everyone has to pitch in and do their share.
Including you, Eli.
What? I need a break.
So hot.
All you're doing is standing there.
Making sure nothing crawls up your ass.
And I appreciate that.
Stop it.
So, how's it going? Good.
Digging? Yep.
You doing okay? In general? I'm fine.
Good.
Good.
That's excellent.
What's so funny? Oh, nothing.
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? T.
J.
How are we supposed to know what's safe to eat? We can't know for sure.
What's that saying? A starving man Well, maybe it wasn't ripe.
Try it.
Oh, no.
No, thanks.
You just exposed yourself now.
Come on, seriously? Yeah.
If you had a reaction, we wouldn't know which one caused it.
Volker just puked.
Have you eaten anything here? - Eli! - Mmm? Oh, sorry.
Sorry.
Are you staying hydrated? Okay, what about any numbness, or how's your vision? No, it's My head's pounding, and my neck's a little Oh! We should get him back to the ship.
Eli, dial back.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey I don't know, I just started feeling dizzy.
It came on pretty fast.
It feels like you're running a temperature.
I thought it was just the heat.
Is your neck bothering you? Yeah, it just started.
Stiff at the back, mostly.
Eli.
Right, I'm on it.
Okay, guys, listen up! Get your stuff, we're bugging out! Wait, wait, wait.
We can't leave.
If it's something that they got here, it could be contagious.
So, what are we supposed to do? We have 36 hours before the Destiny leaves.
For the sake of everyone else on board, I say we wait.
Here? For what? At least for a little while.
Just see how this plays out.
It could be anything, really, a virus, a bacteria.
There's no way to know if it's airborne.
You've only been there three hours.
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.
Roger that.
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.
Will do.
Check in every hour regardless.
Copy that.
Young out.
Shut it off, Greer.
You must have some suspicions.
I've seen you giving them shots.
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.
Okay, so what is it, bacterial meningitis? I don't know, but if it turns out that's what it is, and I haven't done anything, they could die quickly.
You don't know.
You're using up our antibiotics on a hunch? Yes, that was my judgment call.
That's great.
I thought you said it wasn't far.
It's not.
You doing okay? Yeah, fine.
Over here.
Whoa! What is that smell? It's sulfur.
I'd hate to see the ants who made those.
Hey, hey, hello! What are you doing? Haven't you seen Alien? You think this is what's making people sick? I don't know.
They make chemical weapons from this stuff.
Yeah, I know, but we don't know the exact compound or concentration.
Well, there's more over here.
No, no, it's all right, I believe you.
Look, I'm just saying.
I know she doesn't want to make anybody else on the ship sick, but what if us staying here is going to kill us? Well, this couldn't get much worse.
I'm afraid that's a failure of imagination.
Top five desert island movies.
What? Lt'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 only one, then Empire.
That's four.
Man, this is hard.
I could pick so many.
Maybe it should be top 10 T.
J.
! Yeah? Good Will Hunting has got to be there somewhere.
James is not doing well.
Where is she? How many does that make now? That's Chloe, Volker, Marsden and Franklin.
Now James, too.
Wait a minute.
Let me look at your eyes.
No, I'm fine.
No, you're not.
You need a shot, too.
Dial out! Dial the gate! Destiny, come in.
If you can hear me, please respond! What's wrong? I don't know! Why is it doing that? We've got to get out of here! We can't! Why is it doing that? Okay, what the Hey, did you guys hear? Yeah, there was a Kino already there? How is that possible? We dropped out of FTL, the gate dialed, then we sent a Kino to check out the planet.
They go through, and there's another one already there lying on the ground not far from the gate.
Hey, guys? We only sent one Kino, right? Turns out the databank was full.
Looks like the databank is full.
Well, what's on it? Us.
What do you mean, "us"? They're watching the recording now, but I heard that a bunch of us are on it.
Doing what? 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.
But that didn't happen.
Obviously.
You're fine, right? Apparently, they found human remains, too.
It's weird, huh? You okay? Yeah, it just hit me.
Are you sure you're okay otherwise? Yeah.
Pretty understandable.
Not to me.
I was talking about the barfing.
I was moving on.
How is this possible? I don't know.
What about an alternate reality? Sir, given the illness that developed on the planet, I suggest that we quarantine everyone who went through to retrieve this Kino.
Scott, Greer, Eli and Rush.
And everyone they came in contact with since returning.
Well, that's all of us.
Here.
I'll have to coordinate on radio.
Brody was also in the Gate Room when they got back.
We were only there for, like, a half hour at most.
That's more than enough time to come in contact with a contagion.
Wait a second.
You're worried because people got sick on this recording, which never happened.
Well, we don't know that.
What are you saying? Well, that is clearly us.
The recording happened, somehow.
What do you think was wrong with the gate? It looks like the wormhole connection was unstable.
It would have been extremely dangerous to even attempt travel.
Sir? Go.
So keep watching? Can you fast forward, please? Yeah.
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 22 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.
Eli, what are you doing? Volker wasn't killed by the creatures.
T.
J.
Says he died of the illness during the night.
Everyone seems to be coming down Eli! With symptoms at this point Do I need to point out yet again that documenting this could be important? See? See? Who do you think is ever gonna see that? Us.
Us! We are! - You look ridiculous.
- It won't fly.
If someone hadn't shot it Scott was bitten by one of the creatures.
He's now in a coma.
Eli, you okay? Compared to most everyone else.
Don't go too far.
We are under quarantine.
Eli! Sergeant Greer has found a cave nearby.
It could be our best chance to survive another night if it comes down to that.
We could use some help! Good man.
My turn.
Oh, sorry.
So, at least it's a defensible position.
Our backs to the wall.
Better than being exposed on all sides.
I have a lot of respect for people who do what you do.
It's not easy.
I can tell it really affects you when you can't help people.
It does.
My mom was a nurse.
She got stuck by a needle trying to restrain a junkie in the ER.
She got HIV.
I'm sorry.
My father couldn't handle it.
He just He just left.
I was 14 at the time.
That must have been hard on you.
Do you have a family? My parents.
My dad's retired.
ELI: What did he do? He was a tailor.
He's actually the one who taught me how to do stitches.
I remember this one time he cut himself pretty badly with some scissors, and he sewed it up himself and kept right on working.
Brothers or sisters? A sister.
She has two kids.
I miss them.
I'm really afraid that my mom's just gonna give up if I die out here.
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 was the first time that I realized I was going to die one day.
I mean, I knew people died.
I'm talking about the idea that my consciousness was going to end.
I wasn't going to see what happened to the world.
I It was such an empty, dark feeling, like I was falling down a pitch-black hole.
It was Scared the crap out of me.
I take it you don't believe in the afterlife.
That fear was almost too much to handle.
I guess maybe I thought I'd just get used to it.
- But you don't.
- No.
No, it scared me just as much every time.
Most people realize their own mortality at some stage of the game, Eli.
It's not a particularly unique experience.
I know.
The question is, did it change you? Did it inspire you to make something of this short existence that we have? Well, I'm here, aren't I? Of course, the Ancients evolved to a point where their physical bodies were no longer necessary, found a way for consciousness to become immortal.
You really think that's possible? I know it is.
Maybe not for you and me, but that idea, it's the reason why I ended up here.
So, you think if we learn enough, that somehow, somewhere out there we could discover how it's done? We have to make it through the day.
Hey.
You okay? It didn't happen.
Well, it's not clear what happened.
I know I didn't go to that planet and have all those people die under my watch.
It wasn't your fault, Sergeant.
It didn't look like there was anything you could have done differently.
I am not interested in what did not happen.
Sir.
Regardless of how that recording came into existence, avoiding the issue is simple.
We just don't go back to that planet.
Doesn't bother you? Like you said, it didn't happen.
Just a story, right? I am curious to find out how it turns out, though.
Not me.
Whoa! What just happened? She started complaining that her head hurt, and she just dropped.
It's been three hours since we dropped out of FTL.
That's about the time people began to get sick on the planet in the recording.
T.
J.
! 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.
Can it be contained? I don't know, but whatever it is, it's extremely virulent.
On the Kino recording, Eli said Volker died because of it.
How quickly? Within 12 hours.
M4 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.
- You mean shoot for real? That way.
Okay Safety's off.
Whoa! Oh, man! What happened to short bursts? You sure they're down there? Saw them go home last night.
You really think this is a good idea? The best defense is offense.
- Fire in the hole.
- Yeah, literally.
I hope we didn't just piss them off.
Okay.
Oh! Okay, that's disgusting.
Come on.
We got more of these things to hit.
His pulse is very weak.
Did using the other remote help? We were able to get a connection, but the wormhole is still unstable.
Nothing from Destiny on the radio.
Well, is it broken, or is there a chance it could resolve by itself? There are a number of things that could be causing temporary interference.
Well, we have 11 hours until Destiny is supposed to jump back into FTL.
There's no way of telling how long it's going to last.
And I guess it would be crazy to try and go anyway.
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.
A fire would be nice.
I couldn't find any dry wood.
Huh.
Are they still watching the recording? Yeah.
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.
You're not feeling good? No.
Let's go slow.
- See anything? - No.
Good.
Maybe we got them all today.
Did you see that? Did you see something? I think I saw something! If you see anything move out there, don't ask, just shoot.
Right.
Right, okay.
Hey.
Hey, I think the batteries in this one are dead.
The Kino has night vision.
Why didn't I turn it on? Oh.
Never mind.
Oh, my Come on, come on! Come on! I don't think we're going to make it.
I'm out! Come on, come on, come on! Give me! Hey, hey! Where are you going? He's crazy.
You're crazy! You are.
Come back! Wait! Son of a Wait! Stop! Someone's got to try.
Look, I'll radio if I make it.
You'll know it's safe.
If? But you said Hey, for a moment there, I thought we were in trouble.
What? "For a moment there, I thought we were in trouble"? Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
It's Butch's last line before he and Sundance run out to face the Bolivians.
One of my favorites, too.
Well, well, we do have something in common after all.
Eli.
Destiny? Come in! You like that? Come on! - Come on, baby! - Greer! Oh, my God.
Colonel Young.
Dr.
Rush.
What is it? Some sort of microorganism.
Something brought back from the planet? Not the planet they just went to.
The planet you and Scott went to, the ice planet.
That was weeks ago.
How do you know? This is a sample of the water we've been drinking, isn't it? When people outside the quarantine started coming down with symptoms I knew we needed to look for another common source.
But we tested it at the time.
At the time, we couldn't see it.
The microscope just wasn't powerful enough, and the organism was just too small.
Well, it isn't now.
It's possible that a batch of water wasn't purified properly and it contaminated the rest.
So we've all got it? 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.
Well, for a moment there, I thought we were in trouble.
Eli! Eli? Eli.
Oh, my God! Oh, my God! It's 45 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'd been starting to feel sick, headache, pain in the back of the neck.
The bite still hurts like a bitch, but everything else is better.
The gate still doesn't seem to be working.
I can't reach Destiny on the radio.
I'm hoping it's just a communications problem and that everything else is okay up there.
I'm sending this through, and I'm 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.
What just happened? It went back in time.
What are you doing? Making sure it hasn't happened yet.
What hasn't happened yet? 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 in a different time.
In this case, the past.
Whoa, whoa! Okay, this is making my brain hurt.
Oh, my God.
Back to the Future.
How can I not put that on my list? The "us" on that recording dropped out of FTL and went to the planet.
Sometime later, a solar flare occurred preventing normal gate travel.
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.
God, that is so weird to think that was really us on the Kino.
Us in a previous unaltered timeline, modified now by the introduction of the Kino from the future.
Why are we dialing the gate back there? As I said, to make sure the solar flare that disrupted gate travel hasn't happened yet.
Thankfully, it hasn't.
Yeah, but why do we care about that? Because I think we might have to go back there.
I'd been starting to feel sick, headache, pain in the back of the neck.
The bite still hurts like a bitch, but everything else is better.
It's possible, I guess.
The venoms of various animals, snakes, spiders, scorpions, they've all been tested for their antibiotic properties.
Wait, you're saying that thing that bit me can actually cure what's making everybody sick? You fell into a coma.
It obviously releases some sort of venom when it bites.
You apparently survived, said you were feeling better.
But you were just guessing and those things were Well 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.
We've all been exposed, so it's just a matter of time before we all get it, right? I'll go, sir.
Not by yourself, you won't.
We don't need liabilities, Scott.
Well, I'm good to go, sir.
Getting Kino visuals.
It's nighttime and Oh, hey, surprise, surprise, it's raining.
Which means those things will probably be out.
That's too bad.
They were easy pickings when they were sleeping in their nests during the day.
Well, we can't wait.
According to the time stamp on the recording, you have an hour until the first team lost contact because of the solar flare.
Forty-five minutes, to be safe.
How many do you think we'll need? Hopefully, a small dosage of the venom will do it.
Dead or alive? Alive, preferably.
I can't exactly anticipate the physiology.
Not much time.
Good luck.
What? Her pulse is very weak.
I just want you to be prepared.
I'm not sure she's going to make it.
Of course she is.
We're out of antibiotics.
Why do people always wait until times like these to tell someone how they really feel? It's so stupid.
I just Screw it.
We haven't known each other that long, but I think we make each other happy.
When I'm near you, things are just better.
You don't even know how amazing you are.
It doesn't matter.
I've never had a best friend before.
Never.
Never known anyone like that before, never loved I just I need to make sure that you know that I'm here for you.
Always will be.
Please, don't die.
Eli, she's gone.
I don't see anything! They gotta be here somewhere.
Colonel Young, this is Rush.
Come in.
I read you.
Go ahead.
Checking in.
Nothing yet.
It's raining pretty hard.
I'm sorry to have to tell you we've already lost four people.
Drs.
Franklin and Volker, Lieutenant James and Chloe.
Copy that.
Check in again in 10 minutes.
Lieutenant.
Lieutenant, we need you.
Scott! We need you.
Colonel Young, come in, please.
Colonel Young, do you read? 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, but there is hope.
There's 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 deadly.
They're also nocturnal.
They only come out at night.
You can get them during the day while they're asleep in their nests, and they're not far from the gate.
Come on! Please believe me.
You don't have much time.
Act now, or you are all going to die.

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