Stargate: Atlantis s01e12 Episode Script

- Ease up on the controls a little.
- I'm fine.
You're gonna snap the damn things off.
- I'm just seeing what this baby can do.
- "This baby"? It's appropriate space-pilot parlance.
- Try to fly the baby in a straight line.
- I'm flying in a straight line.
- Not so much.
- Well, in space, all motion is relative.
You OK, Dr Gall? I get motion sickness.
These have inertial dampeners.
You don't feel a thing.
I know we're moving.
That's enough for me.
Why'd you choose this guy for the mission? Brendan discovered the Lagrangian Point satellite.
Elizabeth felt he should see it.
- Don't let go! - Snapping doesn't help! This is why parents don't teach their kids how to drive.
I'm both insulted and touched by that.
Oh, my God! - McKay.
- Yes, of course, please.
Holding station at 1,000 metres.
Half a mile away and it's filling the windshield.
This might be the single largest weapons platform ever constructed.
The last line of defence before Atlantis.
Any chance it's still operational? That would be very good.
- Any energy readings? - Negative.
- So it's dead? - It warrants closer scrutiny, but yeah.
Knocked out during the Ancients' last stand? Or its power source is depleted.
We should still take a closer look.
Wait.
I'm getting something on the ultra-low frequency range.
(screeching) Where's it coming from? The planet.
It's a distress call.
A Wraith distress call.
(Weir) Wraith? In this solar system? I know.
It's right in our backyard.
We figure the Ancients shot the ship down in the final battle for Atlantis.
And it's still putting out a signal? A very weak signal.
If any part of that ship is intact, the wealth of knowledge we could acquire is invaluable.
- What are you saying? - We have to go and take a look.
You have to? It took you almost 15 hours to get there.
All the more reason to look.
We're already here.
The planet's atmosphere is extremely ionised.
Radio communication could be difficult.
And it would take at least 15 hours to send out any sort of rescue.
- We'll be fine.
- (Weir) Major? - I agree with McKay.
- Of course you do.
How could you resist exploring a crashed alien spaceship? - Exactly.
- Our interest is purely professional.
The intel we can gather from their weapons system, codes, shields All right.
Proceed with extreme caution, please.
- Check in with me in three hours.
- Three hours? Will do.
Jumper One out.
- "Communication could be difficult.
" - She said yes, didn't she? - And no thanks to you.
- All right, knock it off, guys.
I've spent the last 15 hours listening to you two.
Are we ready? All right, let's remember where we parked.
- Why didn't we land next to the ship? - A precaution.
The Wraith ship crashed thousands of years ago.
- Automated defences.
- (Gall) I never thought of that.
Brendan, we weren't all built for fieldwork.
- Seriously, we're almost there, right? - (buzzing) What's that? Some kind of a bug? Space bug.
It's giving off a pretty strong life-signs reading.
- I'm allergic to bee stings.
- It smells the food.
Maybe he's just smelling the girlish fear.
Well, let's leave it be and it'll leave us be.
Guys - Have you seen one like this before? - It's too small to be a hive ship.
(McKay) It's been here a long time.
Maybe they discontinued that model.
Maybe, but whatever it is, it took a hell of a hit.
Score one for the Ancient satellite.
There are skeletons down there.
I guess everyone didn't die in the crash.
- Any life signs? - I think we can rule that out.
- Just a precaution.
- Fine.
- Us and the bugs.
Nothing from the ship.
- Good.
Let's go take a look.
Picking up faint power readings.
Something had to be powering the distress beacon.
Come on, Abrams.
Maybe one of us should stay outside.
Look, I know how you feel, but how many opportunities like this are we gonna get? - Looks like he just lay down and died.
- It's remarkably preserved.
Or it wasn't that long ago.
All right, Beckett'll want samples.
It is, uh? Yeah.
OK - What the? - OK.
This is different.
- Wraith cannibalism? - Looks like it.
- They feed off each other? - Probably as a last resort.
They tried to survive as long as possible.
- OK, that is incredibly disturbing.
- No kidding.
- You know, I wonder if there's - (Gall) Guys! (Gall) They're bodies, human bodies.
They have chambers like this on hive ships.
- I've never seen one so large before.
- I don't understand.
The Wraith cocoon humans, keep them in suspended animation, so later they can I think we just figured out what this ship is for.
A supply ship on its way to feed the Wraith who were laying siege to Atlantis.
- That's terrifying.
- Gall, Abrams, check it out, but be careful.
- What? Wait.
- Where are you going? To the bridge.
Maybe we can get some intel.
- You're leaving us? - They're all dead.
- That's the problem! - Just get a rough head count.
- We'll stay in radio contact.
- That could be difficult.
- This part of the ship seems shielded.
- Weir only gave us a few hours.
You wanted fieldwork.
This is fieldwork.
Lieutenant, put a team on stand-by for a rescue mission.
- Is the major all right? - Everything's fine.
I'd just like to have a team ready.
- So, just in case? - Yeah.
Just in case.
Yes, ma'am.
(McKay) I'm not picking up anything in the EM spectrum.
I may need to rig up a secondary power source to interface with their computer.
- (Sheppard) I'm just thinking out loud.
- What? How long could the Wraith feed on all those humans? They're capable of hibernating for hundreds of years, but 10,000 years ago was roughly the dawn of human civilisation.
- So there's no chance that? - No.
Are you kidding? Well maybe.
- McKay.
- No.
No living thing could survive that long under those conditions.
It's ridiculous.
OK.
It would require an incredible power source to sustain the humans in suspended animation almost the entire time.
- So it's possible? - Oh, my God.
It is possible.
We gotta get outta here.
Gall, Abrams, this is Sheppard.
Are you trying to scare me to death? I'm probably being overcautious, but we should - (static) - We need to what? Say again.
Your radio's breaking up.
Fall back to our point of ingress.
We're headed back to the jumper.
I think we're getting outta here.
- What? - I just saw something behind you.
We can't go that way.
Major, I saw something.
All right, stay put.
We're coming back to you.
Understood.
There's nothing out here.
- You're freaking out on me.
- I saw something.
- Put that thing away.
- I know what I saw! Oh, my God.
(Wraith screeching) This way.
- He's dead.
- Where's Gall? I don't know.
- Gall, this is Sheppard.
Come in.
- It must have taken him.
You're right.
They're on the move.
- What are you doing? - Taking his weapons and his ammo.
- I already have a gun.
- Now you have two.
- You're not going after the Wraith? - After Gall.
Then I plan on getting the hell outta here.
I swear there were no life signs.
They don't show up as life signs when they're hibernating.
OK.
Let's go.
(breathy grunting) (breathy grunting continues) (gasps) Please! (snarls) - They're not even overdue.
- It doesn't matter.
Call it intuition, paranoia, or just a drill.
Either way, I want you to go now.
- If they are in trouble - Then every moment counts.
Exactly.
- Who's your pilot? - Markham.
- Good.
He could use some practice.
- I have ordnance to fight a small war.
- Let's hope you don't have to.
- Yes, ma'am.
Let's move out.
- What's that? - I don't know.
But I don't have the ordnance I should have.
I'll take any edge I can get.
What world are you from? You're gonna kill me anyway.
You have come here by ship.
Where is it? You're gonna kill me anyway.
But not all at once.
Agh! OK.
Stay behind me.
Shoot only when I tell you to shoot.
(running footsteps) (whimpers) - I'm sorry.
- Sh! He's left the ship.
- It killed Abrams.
- We know.
It was so fast.
It fed off me.
- You're gonna be all right.
- It was taking my life.
I could feel it.
Listen to me.
You're still here.
Can you move? - Nothing below my shoulders.
- I'm sure the paralysis is just temporary.
I told him where we left the jumper.
He took my remote.
- He won't be able to fly it.
- Do we know that? I'm sure the Wraith were the reason the technology only works with the gene.
- He'll have our weapons, food and water.
- Who cares? What if he can use our subspace radio to signal his friends? - He might do that.
- Not if I get there first.
- He's got a head start.
- I'm fast.
- Elizabeth will send a jumper - Stay with him.
No.
Please don't leave us.
- We should stick together.
- He killed Abrams.
Just because we both made an error I don't have time to argue about this! Now, set your radio to channel two, but don't use it till you hear from me.
Major! Major! It's fine.
Just OK.
- Anything? - No.
Hopefully there's just the one.
- You're not gonna let me die out here? - Don't be ridiculous.
You know, 'cause people would talk.
- And why would they do that? - It's obvious.
You're afraid I'll outshine you.
My mind.
My youth.
- How much did he take? - You look fine.
That's what they do, isn't it? They take years off your life.
I look old, don't I? You look older, yes.
- Show me.
- There's no point in doing this.
Rodney, show me.
Oh, my God! I don't know how it works, Brendan.
Maybe you haven't really aged.
It's possible that in time you could get better.
You're still alive.
Can you move yet? - I think I'm getting some feeling back.
- Well, there's something.
What? I'm just trying to help here.
You're the one who had to find the stupid satellite.
- Agh! Don't make me laugh.
- You shouldn't laugh.
It's not so good.
(roars) (Weir) They still haven't checked in.
- Good thing we left when we did.
- Be careful, Lieutenant.
Yes, ma'am.
Gall said radio was a problem on the surface.
Hopefully the jumper's subspace communications are just down.
We'll do whatever we need to do.
You're on the other side of the solar system.
It's gonna be your call.
Yes, ma'am, it is.
(Sheppard) McKay.
- Still here.
- Son of a bitch beat me to it.
He's fast.
- Then get back here.
- Negative.
- There's no point being there.
- He's on my ship.
Are you Captain Kirk? What good'll it do him? Maybe he can hot-wire the damn thing.
I don't wanna take a chance.
Any idea how long the days are on this planet? No.
Why? I've got a feeling the nights are pretty damn cold, sub-zero cold.
We're six hours overdue.
Assuming they waited an hour It's gonna be dark before a jumper can get here.
If we play the waiting game, the guy who's been around for 10,000 years will win.
Anyone or anything capable of surviving that long is a serious adversary.
Not if I get him out in the open.
He won't know about our weapons.
If all goes well, I'll fly back and pick you up.
And if all doesn't go well? Things haven't gone well thus far.
You know, these guys do die if you have enough firepower.
- Well, eventually, yes, but - Try and stay positive.
How's Gall feeling? - He can move his toes.
- See? Things are looking up.
(radio) This is Major John Sheppard.
That's my ship you're messing with.
I'd like it back.
- This ship is Lantian.
- Yes, it is.
They were on the verge of defeat.
You weren't around for the end of the war.
You lost.
- Impossible.
- It's true.
You're the last of your kind.
Their city was under siege.
Atlantis was all that remained.
Victory was inevitable.
Well, you can see for yourself my ship is Lantian.
I'm living proof we're still around but the Wraith are all gone.
No one's left but you.
What you say cannot be true.
Come down to your own ship and see for yourself.
I'll be waiting for you.
You cannot hope to defeat me! There.
What'd I tell you, huh? Rodney, I don't feel so good.
Water.
Probably need some water.
- (Sheppard) McKay.
- Major, what's happening? I thought you should know round one was a draw.
- I don't like the sound of that.
- I took some fire.
- Are you injured? - That's what I mean by "I took some fire".
But I don't think it's too bad, but my P-90's out of commission.
He found a nine mil, figured out how to use it.
- The Wraith will heal itself.
- No kidding.
I put at least 20 shots into him.
I've seen Wraith go down and stay down with far less.
This guy's different.
The Wraith's ability to heal itself may be proportional to how recently the Wraith has fed, and he's fed pretty recently.
There's gotta be more to it than that.
- Can Gall move his fingers yet? - Barely.
- Stick a gun in his hand.
- Major? Just in case I don't make it back.
Sheppard out.
That's comforting, huh? Right.
Water.
Oh, crap! - What the hell was that? - I almost blew myself up.
- What? - Stay off the radio.
I'm busy.
Right.
He's busy.
- You wanna go and help him, don't you? - Me go up against a Wraith? You do.
I can tell.
You've changed.
- You wanna get out there.
- Shut up.
Don't get me wrong.
I'm impressed.
You want in the fight.
- The Rodney McKay I knew would never - We're staying here.
All right.
Take this, but don't shoot at anything until I tell you to.
OK.
(buzzing) D'you want some of this? OK, OK.
That's enough.
(gunshots) (whooshing) - You're right.
I should go out there.
- I said you wanted to.
- Because I should.
- No, you shouldn't.
But don't let me stop you.
If you think you can help the major by going - I can't leave you here.
- Yes, you can.
What difference does it make? We know I'm not gonna make it.
Stop being so dramatic.
You're getting stronger by the minute.
- I've never felt so weak.
- Then stop talking.
I'm dying, Rodney.
I can feel it.
- Stop it! - I'm getting worse.
He left me with enough life so you'd have to watch me die.
All you need is a good meal, a pot of tea and to stop talking and Brendan! I'm sorry.
- You said to stop talking.
- I'm sorry, I thought you'd Apologies.
Nice work.
- (buzzing) - Not now, guys.
(buzzing) We may be able to make radio contact now, sir.
Major, this is Lieutenant Ford.
Come in.
Major, we should be there inside an hour.
Please respond.
- Perhaps we are still too far away.
- Or they can't get a signal.
See if you can make this thing go faster.
Do you think I'm a fool, Major Sheppard? There's nowhere for you to go on this world.
When I feed upon you, I will savour the taste of your defiance.
Hey, you.
Over here.
On the ground, the radio.
The days on this planet are long, but the nights are cold.
Sooner or later I will have you.
I can't hear you threatening to suck the life out of me till you hit the button on the radio.
- You hear that? - No.
I thought I heard something.
Maybe there's another one hibernating.
No.
It's been too long.
The major could be in trouble, and if he's in trouble, we're in trouble.
- Then go.
- Do you think you can move? Not a chance.
I'm not going anywhere.
OK.
That's OK.
Go.
Rodney, just go.
Save the day.
I wanna call him on the radio, but I might give away his position.
What chance would we have if Sheppard can't take him out? - I was hoping you'd be strong - (gunshot) Oh, no.
You have got to be kidding me.
I have fed upon countless thousands of humans and Lantians, even upon my own crew, and I will feed upon you before this day is done.
- Major, this is Lieutenant Ford.
- Lieutenant, I like your timing.
- Get your ass down here.
- We're still two zero minutes away.
Your timing sucks.
Get here as soon as you can.
You need me to get off this planet.
I'm the only one who can fly that ship.
I will use your dead hands to operate its controls.
(gun clicks) - Major! - McKay! - What do I do now? - Keep firing everything you got! - (gun clicks) - OK, now what? Reload! - We're picking up their life signs.
- Head straight for 'em.
(Ford) Sir, we're picking you up on the HUD.
No more bullets! Ford, lock on to the biggest life-sign signals you can see and fire.
- Negative, sir.
You're too close! - That's an order.
Do it! Fire on that target.
McKay, run! McKay? Still here! Sir, this is Ford.
The target has gone.
Well, it's about damn time.
We got here as soon as we could.
That's not what I meant.
Thanks.
You're welcome, sir.
We'll be there in a few minutes.
We can wait.
- Thanks.
- Yeah.
You too.
- You OK? - Other than this and a few cracked ribs.
What about Gall? No.
You'll have to put the ship back together, provided you can disarm the shield.
Fine.
As long as we get to go home.
- (Sheppard) You can drive.
- Oh, thank you.