Stargate Universe s02e13 Episode Script

I may be on the verge of discovering the true nature of Destiny's mission.
You've had control of this ship the whole time! Why wouldn't you tell anyone? The Lucian Alliance is planning an attack on Earth.
I killed Riley.
I suffocated him with my own hands.
You are a good commander.
There is no mission other than getting these people home.
It was never about going home, it's about getting us to where we're going.
That is the mission.
You were in detention.
For good reason.
I was just wondering what to do about it now.
That's not up to you.
Take cover! Homeworld Command needs the intel they're providing, and it's quite possible that these prisoners have information that could help head off that attack.
Ginn and I figured out how to dial the ninth chevron back to Earth while Destiny recharges in a star.
Somehow, I've come back through time.
Tell them not to try and dial Earth.
It won't work.
They're all going to die.
Stop trying to scare people and get on with this.
Wait three seconds, then follow me! The connection was made, but you were the only one who made it through to Earth.
Welcome back, David.
Everett.
What the hell happened? That's gonna take some explaining.
To the best of our knowledge, the connection was only viable for a few moments, which is why you were the only one who made it through.
So where'd everyone else go? The likely answer is they were simply killed in an unstable wormhole.
- The other me? - He died trying to retrieve some valuable hardware from the other Destiny.
It was an accident.
David? It's a lot to process.
No.
No, I get it.
Sort of.
Anyway, I've been around the program long enough to know this stuff happens, but good luck trying to explain it to Senator Michaels.
New head of the off-world spending committee? I've gotta head back, but she's coming onboard.
She'll want a post-mortem on this latest fiasco, but what she's really interested in is Rush's little signal from God I never called it that.
Well, that's what a lot of them are calling it back home.
It's created a bit of a stir.
They wanna know if it's worth spending the money to get another Icarus base up and running.
Yeah, even if they do, and they find another planet and make a connection, it's still only a one-way trip.
You, me, and everyone on this ship aren't going anywhere.
Yeah, it'd be nice to get supplies.
I should switch with the Senator, talk to my people, find out how this is all playing with our international partners.
All right.
We'll need a male volunteer as well.
She's bringing a scientist with her to confirm Rush's findings.
Oh, well, in that case, I know the perfect candidate.
Camile.
He's the only one onboard who hasn't used the stones to go back.
He keeps turning it down.
Well, then maybe you should order him to go.
He was borderline unstable when we came onboard.
If anyone can use some time off All right, I will make that happen.
This was your idea, wasn't it? We don't have all day, Sergeant.
I don't need R&R.
Yeah.
Yeah, I get it.
You're the perfect soldier.
No rest, no weakness, no fear.
Now, can we get this over with? Identify yourself.
What's going on? Identify yourself now! I'm Camile Wray, this is Master Sergeant Ronald Greer.
Authentication code.
What is going on? This is a scheduled connection.
At ease, Sergeant.
Sorry about this, Camile.
Senator Michaels and Dr.
Covel were briefed, but there was no time to warn you.
We are at a heightened terrorist threat level.
What happened? Nothing yet, but intel says that the Lucian Alliance is on the verge of launching an attack.
Homeworld Command is the target.
Does anyone know this guy that they're sending to check up on us? Supposedly, he's the new head of research at Stargate Command.
Hovel or Shovel, something like that.
It's Covel.
Dr.
Andrew Covel.
We worked together for a short time at Cornell before we were both recruited into the program.
Rush, come in.
- Yeah, go ahead.
- Our guests have arrived.
Yeah, I'm on my way.
So, what's he like? I didn't know him that well, actually.
But you said you worked with him.
Yeah, well, what can I tell you? He's the type of man who likes to keep secrets.
Yeah, we know the type.
Incredible.
The design predates any Ancient technology we've seen in the Milky Way or Pegasus.
Well, it's a pretty big ship.
Anywhere in particular you'd like to start? I'd like to start by clearing something up.
Given recent events, I would like to know once and for all if we're closing the book on the feasibility of dialing within a star.
I'm not the man you should be asking.
Your first order of business was supposed to be to get these people home.
Presumably without killing them.
If I'm not mistaken, all of our people signed off on it.
Numbers were good, but it's true, conditions inside a star are unpredictable.
It's just unfortunate that the other Destiny was lost before anyone had a chance to go over the logs.
We needed those spare parts.
There wasn't a lot of time.
That's understandable.
Unfortunately, it means we have no idea what really happened.
You're assuming the other Rush was lying.
My impressions of the man, Colonel, are based entirely on your reports.
We've had our differences, but this time I was prepared to support him, stay behind, as long as we had enough volunteers to keep the mission going.
Sorry I'm late.
Problems with power distribution, as usual.
Dr.
Rush, Senator Michaels.
I believe you know Dr.
Covel.
- Andrew.
- Nicholas, good to see you.
So, what are we talking about? I was just telling Colonel Young how I would like to see Chloe.
I was very good friends with her father, and I've know her since she was a little girl.
Sure.
She's on the bridge.
I'll take you to her.
Is that what I think it is? We're sweeping the building for radiation.
The Alliance has managed to infiltrate a couple of our off-world bases and plant naquadria bombs.
All clear, sir.
- Thank you.
Carry on.
- Yes, sir.
We have escorts waiting for both of you outside.
They'll take you wherever you need to go.
All due respect, sir, with everything going on, I think I'd like to stay right here.
Appreciate the thought, Master Sergeant, but we've got this.
Look, I know these people, Colonel.
I've dealt with them.
Unlike some of us, I never trusted them.
I'll keep that under advisement, but for now, you're dismissed.
Yes, sir.
Nice.
Chloe? Senator Michaels, is it you? - Yes.
- Oh, my God.
Hi, sweetheart.
- Look at you.
- Wow, welcome to the Destiny.
I can't believe it.
Well, what are you doing? Oh, I was just going over the ship's FTL jump logs.
We're trying to improve the accuracy of manual navigation.
- Really? - It's the new me.
What do you think? Well, I think I'd like to leave the science and technology to somebody else for a few moments so we can talk, if that's okay with you? Go ahead, Chloe.
You can finish this later.
- Great, come on.
I'll show you around.
- All right.
Well, I have to say, Nicholas, I'm impressed.
I think I'm starting to understand the passion you had for this mission even before you found a signal.
Congratulations.
Yeah.
Master Sergeant, wait! - I'm off duty, right? - Yes.
Then I don't have to talk to you.
You know, if you go into this assuming it's a waste of time, it probably will be.
Do you have any idea what's going on here? We've known about the Lucian Alliance threat for a long time.
And too bad we didn't do anything about it.
I did do something about it.
Those prisoners gave us valuable intelligence.
Maybe they were just feeding us a line while we gave them food and shelter and put our own people at risk! You don't know what What's happening? That's incoming.
- No, no - What are you doing? - We have to go - Let go of me! Where? No, we've got to get out of here! I don't know how you do it.
I would have gone crazy in two weeks locked up in a place like this, let alone a whole year.
It's not like we never get outside.
We gate to planets all the time.
I spoke to your mom the other day.
How's she doing? She's holding up, you know, it's not easy, but she's holding up.
I'm so sorry, Chloe.
We should've gotten you home long ago.
It's not just me.
Look, everyone else on this ship, with the exception of Mr.
Wallace, is a member of Stargate Command.
Yeah, that doesn't mean they signed up for this.
Maybe not, but it does mean that, sooner or later, they were gonna wind up on some obscure planet, doing God knows what kind of research, that may or may not ever have seen the light of day on Earth.
Now, don't get me wrong, I realize the potential of all of that, but I never once thought that that life was for you.
Your father had such plans.
Now you're stuck here.
I'm sorry, it just seems like such a waste.
Colonel, you all right? - Yeah, I think so.
What happened? - We don't know yet.
We're still getting damage reports.
All right, keep moving, let's go, folks! Oh, God.
Greer! Oh, God.
Greer! Greer! Hey.
- You all right? - What happened? I don't know.
It sounded like an explosion.
Lucian Alliance.
Watch your head.
You're bleeding.
We got to find out what's going on.
Oh, no.
No, I don't think you should be moving.
- What is it? - My knee.
It's twisted pretty bad.
Oh, now what? Looks like the explosion, or whatever it was, might have weakened the structure of the building.
You still wanna stay here? Give me a second.
This might hurt a bit.
Okay.
- Is that too tight? - No, that's good.
Okay.
All right.
You ready to do this? Let's get the hell out of here.
I got it.
Well? I think I'm listening to a recording that's over a million years old, captured with technology I can't imagine, processed and filtered using algorithms I don't even understand.
- But you can see the structure? - Yes.
I'm just not quite sure I believe it.
Listen, listen.
I'll admit, there's a lot of impressive data here and if I could transmit it all back to Earth and get 20 of our best people working on this for the next five years, maybe, maybe I could confirm it.
I can't do that.
I mean, with the stones, it's basically word of mouth.
I have to make a judgment call here.
Do you have any idea what kind of a position that puts me in? I know that you were offered Icarus before they gave it to me, and I know you turned it down.
You couldn't see the potential.
I thought it was a bunch of mythological mumbo-jumbo about the gods and ultimate understanding.
Yeah, well, this proves you wrong.
We are talking about evidence of an intelligence - present at the beginning of time.
- Yeah.
Now, you can deny it all you like, they're gonna call it proof of the existence of God, and for every politician that tries to take that and bend it for his own ends, there's gonna be just as many, maybe more, who try to bury it, Nick.
They'll try to bury it, and you along with it So, what are you saying, Andrew? What are you trying to tell me? You don't want to pick a side because you're not sure which one's gonna win? Same old Nick.
You never make things easy, do you? Got it.
You hear that? There.
Hello? You all right? Yeah.
I think so.
I've gotta get out of this place.
Yeah, don't worry, we'll get you out of here.
Radio.
Radio.
It's coming from somewhere back there.
I don't have time for this.
- I gotta get out of here now.
- Maintain, Airman.
- We're doing the best we can.
- We've got another one.
He's dead.
See if he has a gun.
What do you need a gun for? We're still trying to figure out what happened.
We need to be prepared for whatever.
This is Camile Wray in Homeworld Command.
Can anybody read this? Camile, is that you? David? Yes.
I'm here with Greer and another survivor, Airman Evans.
What happened? There's been an attack.
A cloaked Alliance cargo ship was detected on approach.
It crashed into the building on the inner north side.
But that's near the comm lab.
If the stones were hit, we shouldn't be here.
That's affirmative.
They must still be connected.
Sergeant, get on that.
Look, Camile, I've been talking with our intelligence people.
They all agree.
There's no way a lone cargo ship would try an attack on Homeworld Command without packing a little something extra.
Like what, exactly? We think there might be a bomb onboard, as yet unexploded.
You have to get the hell out of there.
- Stop it, will you? - No, no, it's true.
Look, I'm telling you.
And in here, we have our infirmary.
Hey, Colonel.
Lieutenant Johansen, this is Senator Michaels.
We're giving her the tour.
She's here to I'm here to assess the potential and long-term viability of this mission.
And this is Varro, one of our remaining Alliance guests.
Yes, I know.
He's been helping me out volunteering down here.
He's actually got a pretty good understanding of first aid.
Just trying to keep myself useful.
Well, if you don't mind, I have a few things I would like to discuss with the Lieutenant.
Of course.
Look, I know you've been under a lot of pressure, trying to keep all these people alive in some pretty difficult circumstances.
Well, it hasn't been easy, but things have been looking up since we got our hands on the full Ancient database.
There's some advanced medical knowledge, and I'm starting to get a better understanding of how some of their equipment works.
Well, it must be a lot to digest, especially for someone with only a medic's training.
No offense.
None taken.
Look, if you're trying to say we'd be better off with a real doctor onboard, you're right.
I just don't think you're gonna get a whole lot of eager volunteers.
Really? Why's that? Knowing that there's a chance that they'll never go home.
Oh, man.
This doesn't look good.
Are you sure this is the way out? Well, it's the way to what was the nearest exit.
David, this is Camile.
Go ahead.
Looks like our nearest way out is blocked.
How's it coming with that bomb disposal unit? So far, not so good.
There's a lot of debris, they can't dig through it.
We've got heavier equipment on the way, but by the time they get here I don't know.
What kind of bomb are we talking about? Intelligence suggests it's a weapons-grade naquadria device with a probable yield of 50 to 70 megatons.
We've already started evacuations.
All right, well, if you can't get in, and we can't get out, then maybe the best plan is for us to go for the bomb.
What? You said impact was on the inner north side, near the comm lab? We shouldn't be too far.
You don't know anything about defusing bombs! You can talk us through it.
No, I cannot allow you to volunteer for something like this.
You're not even in your own bodies! If that bomb goes off, these bodies will die along with everyone else, and if we're still connected, it'll kill us too.
It's not much of a choice.
Eli Wallace.
Yeah? Nick's famous young protege.
A pleasure to finally meet you.
- I'm Dr.
Andrew Covel.
- Right.
Nice to meet you.
People back at Stargate Command call you the Boy Wonder.
Does that make Rush my Batman? Guess not.
- Adam Brody.
- Dale Volker.
We work here too.
Good.
Maybe you can help me.
What can we do for you? Well, I just wanna know what you think.
About? Everything.
This ship, your role in it.
Nick's little discovery.
- Are you all right? - Yeah, I'm okay.
Maybe we should rest for a minute.
I can hardly breathe.
It's the dust.
It's in your lungs already.
We don't stop.
We keep going.
Greer, Greer, can you just this once not pretend to be invincible? Can you just this once stop talking? - What is your problem? - You really wanna know? - Yeah, I really wanna know.
- We're really going to do this now? My problem is people like you.
People who talk and talk, and meanwhile, nothing gets done! No, no, that's not it.
So now you're gonna tell me something about me? - I know you.
- You know a file in a desk! You don't know anything.
- You're afraid of me! - Do you hear something? You're afraid of what I do because I help people with their problems, but I can't do it unless they admit that they have problems in the first place, and that's just somewhere you won't go! You need to just think you make a difference, - instead of just taking up space - Shut up for a minute.
You're afraid that if you look inside yourself for even one second, you might find out that you're not invincible, that you're just as scared and vulnerable as the rest of us I said shut up! I can hear something.
It's coming from over here.
What is it? It's the Geiger counter.
The tech who was sweeping the building.
There he is.
Hey! Can you hear us? We're gonna get you out.
Oh, God! You're okay.
You're okay.
It's okay.
Just breathe.
That doesn't sound good.
I don't know.
I can't read this thing.
Here, give it to me.
This area is flooded with radiation.
It could be from the crashed ship, or from the bomb itself, but these are deadly levels.
What you're saying is if we stay here much longer, we could die.
No.
I'm saying we're dead already.
So, what's the verdict? Well, I've hardly completed my assessment, but I do have some concerns.
Such as? Well, you know how long it took to get the first Icarus base up and running.
Even if I were to get presidential approval tomorrow, and we were to find a planet immediately, it'd still take another six months before we're ready to do a dial-out.
And? To be perfectly blunt, we're not sure you're gonna survive that long.
And more importantly, we're not sure Destiny's gonna survive.
Well, we've managed to hold it together so far.
What, are you kidding me? You're the problem here.
Since you and your people came onboard, you've brought this ship to the brink of destruction repeatedly.
It's a wonder this thing's flying at all.
Colonel, this is Brody.
We're about to drop out of FTL.
That's understood.
Heads up.
The connection's going to be interrupted for a few seconds.
These bodies.
We did this to them.
There was no way to know.
It was the right call.
If we leave now, get out as fast as we can, we might still be okay.
I'm sorry, Airman, I really am, but we've already had lethal exposure.
You can't know that! You're not a scientist! Maybe not, but I've worked with enough of them to pick up a few things.
What the hell's going on? What is this? What's happening? Let me see that.
In your hand.
- Colonel.
- We just dropped out.
There's been an attack.
Lucian Alliance.
There's a bomb, naquadria, radiation leaking.
We're trying to get to it, but Senator? Oh, my God.
Homeworld Command.
- What happened? - The connection was interrupted.
You think they got the gist of what I was trying to say? If he didn't, the other two can fill them in.
They've seen it for themselves now.
Evans, what the hell? Put the gun down.
Put it down now or I'll kill her! Are we sure this is a good idea? I mean, your people are already on the ground.
They know the situation.
We could just make things worse.
We won't wipe the stones.
We'll just disconnect long enough to get a full report.
Then we will bring you back and let you know what's happening.
Go ahead.
Nothing happened.
Shut the device off.
We're still here.
- Airman, what the hell are you doing? - I'm not gonna die in here! We're gonna turn around and find another way out! You're freaking out.
I understand, but this isn't gonna help.
Shoot him.
Even if he kills me, you can still get to the bomb.
- Camile.
- It's an act! If you give him the gun, he'll kill us both.
He's Lucian Alliance.
You're sure he was one of them? There was something wrong about him from the start, and he knew I wasn't a scientist, but I never told him that.
All he knew was my name.
Telford gave them files on all of us.
Clan tattoo.
He was probably the pilot.
Think there's any more like him around here? No, I doubt it.
I mean, my guess is that the plan was to land the ship cloaked on the roof or somewhere nearby, and then just walk away.
Nice catch.
The radiation's spiking.
I think we're getting close.
Can we make it through? Yeah, I think we can make it through here.
We'll have to crawl, though.
Sorry.
No, don't worry about me.
Right.
Well? It's interesting.
This shouldn't be happening.
- What do you mean? - The stones work in pairs, they're linked.
In order for a connection to be shut off, the command has to be received at both ends.
We've seen radiation cut the signal off before.
Yes, but in this case, the transfer's still in place, which means the signal must be getting through.
The radiation must only be affecting command protocols, nothing else.
There may be a way to boost that specific portion of the signal, or alter it in order to get it past the interference.
I've done a fair amount of research in this technology.
I can help.
Colonel.
Varro would like to speak with you.
Tamara told me what happened.
I realize I'm probably the last person you wanna talk to right now, but I think I can help.
How? I can tell you how to defuse that bomb.
I see the hull of the ship.
We're almost there.
Here, watch your head.
Is that it? Yeah.
It's the source of the radiation.
David, this is Camile.
I think we found our bomb.
David, come in? This is Camile Wray.
Is anybody reading this? Too much interference.
So much for plan A.
We're gonna have to do this on our own.
The Alliance uses a pretty simple design for its naquadria bombs.
The tricky part is, it'll be protected by a hologram shell, so whoever disarms it will have to do so by feel.
The trigger wire is a slightly thinner gauge, probably threaded.
It's the only way to distinguish it.
How do we know any of what you're saying is true? I've worked with these devices before.
That's not what I meant.
I didn't know about the attack, Colonel.
If I did, I would have warned you.
- Sir, I think he's telling the truth.
- Oh, I know you do.
Well, it won't matter anyway if Rush can't get those stones to disconnect.
Maybe not.
If it really is this simple, maybe it's something that can be explained quickly, like, say, in a few seconds? An FTL jump.
We deliberately interrupt the connection.
We can't do that.
We just dropped out.
We jump this soon, we're gonna damage the engines.
Catastrophic, or is it something we can live with? Something we can live with, I think, but it would be a one-shot deal.
Once we're back in FTL, if we force an early drop, we're gonna blow the engines completely.
We're talking about 10, maybe 12 seconds at the most.
What do you think, enough time? Yeah, I think I can get the message across.
It must be on a timer.
The pilot probably wanted to give himself a chance to get to a safe distance.
How long? No way to know for sure, but it's been a while since the crash.
- So it could go off any second.
- Yeah.
It's possible that it was damaged, and it's not gonna go off at all.
Or it could go off any second.
I'm gonna try something.
I think it's some kind of hologram.
The bomb's underneath.
I can feel it.
We're gonna have to do this blind.
Do what, exactly? I haven't quite figured that part out yet.
Senator, there you are.
We need you.
We're going to try and force an FTL jump.
Yes, I know, based on the word of some Alliance soldier.
Look, I'm not sure we have a lot of choice.
I shouldn't even be here.
You know, I had people on my own committee telling me this was a waste of time, that our only priority should be the Alliance threat, and I didn't listen to them.
Look, I know you're worried about people back home.
I am too, but you're wrong about Destiny.
You know, the other Rush said that in his timeline I was one of the people who volunteered to stay.
And you really think you would have done that? My father died so that we could all go on.
I have to believe that it was for a reason.
I feel like I'm part of something here.
Something important.
Okay, there's a large cylindrical piece, and some kind of gasket on the end.
Oh.
And there's a lot of wires.
I don't know! I mean, I could start pulling at things randomly, but Listen.
Outer shell is holographic.
Inside crown is panel, remove with pin.
The trigger wire is slightly thinner, threaded, coarse.
Don't pull the wire, it will detonate.
Pop the linchpin by applying pressure to the base, and A pin.
A pin, we need a pin.
I got one.
What happened? Did they understand it? I don't know.
Colonel Young, this is Rush in the communications lab.
There's something you need to see.
I'm on my way.
I got it.
Now, the trigger wire is threaded.
Find it, but don't pull.
Yeah, I know, it will blow up.
Okay.
Okay, now what? You didn't hear? No, I missed the last part.
I was hoping that you Oh, God.
So, what are we looking at? Well, this is the enhanced command signal.
It's now embedded within the frequencies of the mind transfer itself.
Wait, are you saying you can shut down the connection? Oh, yeah.
And I would have done a lot earlier if Dr.
Covel hadn't been sabotaging our efforts.
- What? - He altered one of the key algorithms.
I checked.
Okay, I did it.
You have to understand that when we went back, and I saw that Geiger counter? The radiation levels, they're not survivable.
- What are you saying? - Our bodies, they're as good as dead, and I just panicked, and I needed some time to think.
You know what happens when someone dies at the end of a connection.
No, no, no, because Dr.
Perry was in a weakened condition.
It is possible that a healthy person could have survived.
So, wait a minute, what did you do? You decided to help yourself to this new body? Is that what you did? Why do they get to live and we don't? They put us in this position! It was easy for them to take a risk, because they weren't going to have to suffer the consequences! Colonel Colonel Young, could you get Varro down here? He can go over the instructions again, and you can send us back.
I'm not going.
You don't have a choice.
We should try again.
Okay, we know which wire is the trigger.
He said not to pull it.
So we find another way to release it.
Yeah, and if we're wrong, this bomb blows up! It's gonna blow up anyway, right? So what do we have to lose? But what about all the people out there, the people that we have to assume are being evacuated from this area? Every second gives more of them a chance to get as far away from here as possible.
You're right.
So we just wait for it to happen.
You know, I'm sorry we never got along better, Ronald.
It's just we see things differently.
I mean, you like to take action, and I like to talk things through.
Well, we're here now, and we're not going anywhere, so let's talk.
I can't think of anything else to say.
I'm sorry Remember, don't pull the wire.
Oh, I've got it.
You're sure? You're ready for this? Just one more thing, Colonel.
Could you tell Chloe that I'm proud of her? Of course.
Have you heard anything? Not yet.
We've been back for hours.
I know.
We're gonna keep someone on the stones If we get a connection.
I heard you have a friend who lives in DC.
Sharon.
She's more than a friend, actually.
I wish I could talk to her one more time, you know? Tell her how much she means to me.
Yeah.
I've been thinking about my mom.
You know, things haven't really been that good between us.
She never really wanted me to join the military.
Last time I saw her, I didn't really say everything that I wanted to say.
She's your mother, Ron.
She knows.
Anyway, I'm sure this will all get resolved, and you can go and tell her yourself soon enough.
Right.
Soon enough.