Stargate: Atlantis s03e11 Episode Script
The Return (2)
Previously on Stargate Atlantis: Where are we going? - Atlantis.
Our intention is to destroy it.
- Why? - Retribution.
McKAY: Its an Ancient warship.
The city is now under my control.
They needed to know how much time we needed to vacate the city.
I said 48 hours.
The Pegasus Replicators are heading back to Atlantis.
Atlantis is under attack from Replicators.
Request immediate evacuation.
Theyre coming.
ONeill and Woolsey may be alive.
I know the city like the back of my hand.
Just give me 60 Marines and some of Colonel Carters new, um- - Anti-Replicator weapons.
- Those things.
Im sorry, colonel, I have standing orders.
The Daedalus will be there in a little under four days.
We need one of us added to the authorized list.
- Theres only one guy who can do that.
- I gotta say Ive never met a woman this into » World of Warcraft.
» Colonel Sheppard, stand down.
IIl be damned if Im gonna let a bunch of Replicators take our home away.
General.
General.
And if Im a Replicator? - Then Ive just exposed my position.
- Again.
Im sorry.
Im not very good at this.
- Here.
- Thank God.
Im starving.
Was this all you could find? No, actually, there was a lovely buffet.
How did the recon go? Well, the stargate OPs is crawling with them.
Theres no way were gonna get across to the Jumper bay.
Are they looking for us? I plum forgot to ask.
As long as the life-signs detectors arent working in these damaged areas we should be able to hold out until they rescue us.
Uh, Richard, theres not going to be a rescue.
- What? - Landry has standing orders to nuke the city if theres any sign of a foothold situation.
What kind of a standing order is that? Mine.
Whats happening? Activate the shield.
I cant.
McKAY: Thats confirmation.
- The gates shield is lowered.
- I hope this little plan of ours works.
Yeah, you and me both.
Authentication code alpha-six delta-charlie-niner.
General ONeill, Woolsey, do you copy? - Sheppard, is that you? - Yes, sir.
I need to know if youre near stargate operations.
- No, were not.
Thats good.
Cant talk now, sir.
Get back to you in a couple of hours.
Sheppard out.
- Drop the package.
McKAY: Package is away.
Hold on.
Follow me.
That went well.
That sounded like an explosion.
Because it was.
Is Sheppard attacking the city? He better be.
Why cant he get back to us for two hours? I dont know.
Its coming up on 2300 hours, sir.
- I can see that, chief.
- Yes, sir.
I have to assume Sheppard heard my message and chose to ignore it.
Theres no way to be 100 percent certain- He heard me, all right.
Theyre already in Pegasus doing goodness knows what.
Which leaves me no choice but to lock out their IDCs and invalidate their personal authentication codes.
- If theyre successful in- - We have no way of knowing whether theyve been successful or if theyve been compromised.
I have my standing orders and Im gonna follow them.
Now, when youre done locking out those IDCs have Dr.
Lee report to my office.
Yes, sir.
It was good to be back, however briefly.
- I feel like Im gonna be ill.
- Dont be.
Just take some deep breaths, Carson.
Should we not have informed General ONeill of our plan? He knows were here.
WeIl contact him again as soon as we get closer.
Thats gonna be easier said than done.
Those hits we took, its impossible to convert the shield to a cloak.
- By impossible you mean- - Not possible.
What do you think I mean? Yeah, well, hopefully we took out the sensors when we blew the tower.
Well, you said they could rebuild remarkably fast.
How long before they restore critical systems? A couple of hours.
Then theres the painting and redecorating.
If we time this right, this could work to our advantage.
Got him.
Right where we left him.
- Thats him.
- Who else would it be? True.
Power levels are barely registering.
No wonder the Replicators didnt find him.
IIl swing around and pick him up.
Watch yourselves, Im closing the bulkhead.
Will we not be vulnerable to the same virus with which Niam infected Élizabeth? Hes been floating in space for over a month.
Existing in such a harsh environment solar radiation has severely diminished his power levels.
Were fairly certain hes almost completely incapacitated.
- Is he dead? McKAY: As in mostly dead.
Besides, we dont have a choice.
Hes the key to our whole plan.
All right, but if he even twitches Dont worry.
Thank you.
Got him.
Closing the rear hatch.
Take the seat.
The compartments repressurized.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay, this is good.
Power levels are minimal but not too minimal.
Im fairly sure he doesnt have the juice to regain consciousness.
Whoa.
I was fairly sure.
Just load the program.
Repairs are underway in stargate operations.
But we have lost all main sensors.
Were trying to route all the telemetry through these terminals.
They were not designed to take on many systems.
We have several observers around the city.
If the gateship returns, weIl detect it visually.
They communicated briefly with someone within the city.
WeIl send search parties here and here.
All Ancients were killed.
Their commander attempted to conceal that fact as I probed her mind.
There may have been a small number of humans.
We would have detected them.
They may be hiding where the sensors are inoperable.
If we want to capture the ones who attacked us we must first capture those they came for.
Well, done yet? - I think were good to go.
IIl take us back.
- Why dont we do this from here? - Do what from here? Render the Replicators helpless, Rodney.
- Remember the plan? - Of course.
Its my plan.
Actually, using Niam was Élizabeths plan.
Thank you.
McKAY: Its mostly my plan.
Its my freezing program.
You said theyd be frozen seven hours.
- Why not do it now? McKAY: Ive gotta keep Niam at nominal power levels, otherwise we risk him waking.
Low power means short range, short range means we need to get closer.
- How much closer? - Much.
- With no cloak? - No cloak.
Good to be back home, huh? Hmph.
Theres no place like it.
I realize I was duped, general but they were incredible.
- It was like a scene out of The Sting- - Thats not why I brought you in here.
This was something they had planned for a long time.
Forget about it.
Id like to know your opinion on the best way to disable the gate bridge between galaxies.
We just finished building that.
Im aware of that.
Okay.
Well, um, I suppose if one were to detonate a Mark IX at the midway station, that would pretty much do it.
I thought so.
Id like you to supervise the preparation of a Mark IX - to keep our options open.
- Uh You could dismantle it.
Of course - it would take a bit more time.
- Which we may not have.
Wow, that is such a shame.
Doctor why are you still in my office? Oh, right.
All right, were about a mile out.
Okay, IIl start broadcasting the virus now but were gonna need to get closer than that.
- Drones.
- McKay.
- Were still not close enough.
- Hang on.
That sounded like another explosion.
Yes.
Yes, it did.
What does that mean? Something exploded? Is it Sheppard attacking the Replicators, or the Replicators attacking Sheppard? WeIl find out.
How did they even get here? Through the gate? Ive been sitting next to you through the whole thing.
Why do you think I have more information? Look, I told you I wasnt good at this.
He said hed be back in a couple of hours.
That gives him a good 11 seconds.
What was that? If we keep this up, there wont be much of a city left to save.
IIl try to run the drones into your least favorite buildings.
McKay! - It should be working.
- Its not working.
If I give him more power, heIl wake up and kill us all.
Sheppard cant keep this up forever.
Shields have been damaged.
Ive had enough.
I got a different idea.
Theyre overdue.
- Not yet.
- Its been well over 11 seconds.
- Yes.
But youve been ignoring the dramatic element of suspense.
General ONeill, are you there, sir? - See.
- Oh, thank God.
Yes, were here.
- Youre late.
Sorry, sir.
We had to go into space and pick up some frozen goods.
Whatever.
Where are you now? Were not exactly inside the city yet.
Were headed toward an underwater Jumper bay.
Well, what we think may be an underwater jumper bay.
- Is that Dr.
Weir I hear? Yes, general.
Its good to hear your voice too.
I didnt say it was good, Élizabeth.
Please dont be offended as I express my surprise that Landry would send you on a mission like this.
Well, sir, General Landry didnt sanction this mission.
So am I to assume youre not surrounded by heavily armed SG teams and young, strapping marines.
Youve got Colonel Sheppard, Ronon Teyla, McKay, myself, and Dr.
Beckett.
Oh, Dr.
Beckett, is it? Well, Im comforted.
Whats that supposed to mean? Okay.
Im ready to open the lock.
Weve got a plan, sir.
A good one.
Yes, colonel, Im sure you do.
But in the unlikely event you dont fail miserably youre fired.
Yes, sir.
I look forward to that.
They have a plan.
I heard.
Careful.
- Thanks, doc.
McKAY: Okay, closing the outer door.
Yes.
Now I just have to pressurize the compartment and we are- Huh? What? Its not letting me do it.
Waters not draining out.
Yeah.
An excellent observation.
Thank you.
It is, however, draining in.
Oh, not again.
Guess we took some damage.
I want to point out this was not my idea.
You said get us close to the city.
This is close.
- And yet no cigar.
Right.
Just open up the outer doors.
IIl figure something else out.
- Oh, dear.
- What? I dont think Im gonna be able to open the outer door.
Why not? I think it might be jammed.
- Might? - Okay, is.
Well, thats unfortunate.
Yeah, Id have to agree with you on that.
This part of the plan isnt going so well.
There must be a manual override somewhere.
In the bays control room.
- Yes.
- Okay, IIl swim to it.
- Which is sealed from the other side.
- Of course it is.
Perhaps General ONeill can reach it.
Give me half an hour to get Niam to the right power levels so we can do this.
Weve got more than one fracture.
We dont have that kind of time.
General ONeill, were gonna need a favor.
McKAY Okay, there should be a hatch leading down to the next level.
Do you see it? Yeah, sure do.
I see it.
The control room should be almost directly below.
Okay, slight problem here.
Whats that? Well, the level below is completely flooded too.
Ah.
I, uh, couldnt convince you to take a swim today, could I? All right, if you hear something dont call out to it.
Shoot it.
- Understood.
Anything thats not me is a Replicator.
So dont hesitate.
You wont be gone long, will you? Uh, kind of depends on the temperature of the water.
Not long.
McKay what do I do once I get down there? Theres a manual override in the center of the console.
ItIl be obvious once you get in there.
All right.
Good luck.
Thank you.
All right.
Here I go.
Did you do it? Radio.
- McKay.
McKAY Did you do it? You and I have very different ideas of what obvious is.
Ive never seen it before.
There are dozens of controls there I wouldnt even know how to describe.
Its an emergency control, it should be the most prominent.
Oh, God.
God, you can hold your breath long.
You almost gave me a heart attack.
Me too.
McKAY: General.
It sounded like you had the right control.
Why did you stop? Its a dead-man switch.
I have to hold it in place.
I had no idea.
Really? Oh, God.
McKAY: Hes doing it.
Hes almost got it.
McKAY Tell him, like, I can do this.
Woolsey? Woolsey, come in.
Somethings wrong.
McKay, you stay here and reprogram Niam.
Were gonna meet General ONeill and Woolsey.
All right? Wait for your okay.
Whoa! Yeah.
Dont move.
Where are the others? What others? Theyve been captured? - Yeah.
Looks like.
Which means their minds will be probed for information any minute now.
mcKay, fire up that virus.
I am working as fast as I can.
The Replicators have ONeill and Woolsey.
Unfortunately, that information cant make me work any faster.
This way.
What were you doing - in the flooded sections of the city? - The backstroke.
I think.
What are you planning? Well, I was planning to retire but, man, is that overrated.
I mean, its not like Im a workaholic or anything, but, you know I like to stay active with the community.
Its a health maintenance sort of thing.
You know? I dont like where this is going.
What are they doing? Oh! What you doing? Probing your mind.
Kind of roomy, aint it? Your ability to resist is quite remarkable, General ONeill.
Its not the first time Ive had a hand in my head, as it were.
If you do not give me what Im looking for - I am sure Richard Woolsey will.
IIl tell you what.
You look around and IIl tell you if youre getting warmer or colder, all right? Ah.
There it is.
So.
Hot, I guess.
- Aah! - Unh! That was the worst thing Ive ever experienced.
Yeah.
It gets worse.
McKAY: Okay, if I- That should- Yeah.
Okay.
Yes.
Stand by.
Ive got his power levels as high as Im comfortable with.
Im gonna try to get him to- Youve been warned about tampering with our base code, doctor.
You wont get a second chance.
mcKay.
Come in, mcKay.
Fall back to the Jumper.
Were gonna need a new plan.
He just came to life.
- They got to ONeill and Woolsey.
- ONeill wouldve never gave us away.
- Their minds were probed.
They know were here and how.
Which was how they were able to reactivate Niam, which screws plan A.
Could you activate the freeze program another way? I need to load the program into a Replicator.
All right, that plans out the window.
We need another one.
These weapons blow them apart, right? I say we just start killing them.
McKAY: Normally I would share your enthusiasm.
But these only work for so long before they identify the frequency they use to disrupt the bonds that hold the Replicators together.
- Whatd he say? - They build up an immunity.
Exactly.
The freezing plan would have worked because theyd be unable to communicate.
The more we shoot, the greater the likelihood - these weapons become ineffective.
- So, what are our options? - I just gave you one.
- WeIl call that plan B.
Anyone for a plan C? - C4.
How much do we have? - A bunch.
Why? - Well, its desperate.
- Well, so are we.
WeIl need to split into groups.
I was gonna suggest that.
What are you thinking? We far outnumber them if we conduct a search.
WeIl locate them more effectively once repairs are complete.
The damage was severe.
We had to dismantle our ship to provide the raw materials.
Once repaired, Atlantis will be all the ship we need.
Well, its about time.
- Thank God.
All right.
Get them out of here.
IIl stand guard.
Hey.
Thanks for the rescue.
- Oh, hey, no problem.
No.
You should be saying, thanks for the rescue.
Oh, uh, right.
Thanks.
I should have you out of there in no time.
This wont take long at all.
Oh, my.
Theyve changed the codes.
But you can crack it, right? You need to get us out of here.
Of course I can.
Just give me, like, one or two seconds.
So I guess that frozen-Replicator plan didnt pan out.
Yeah.
Not so much.
Hows that plan B working for you? Good? Actually, its more like plan C.
C as in C4, if you catch my drift.
No.
Lets say, were concerned the Daedalus wont be able to carry out your orders.
What? Destroy Atlantis with nuclear weapons? I thought we were past that.
- Why go back to that? - Its the only way.
Can you do that? If we plant charges in all shield emitters before the Daedalus arrives when the Replicators activate the shield- The C4 detonates, the Daedalus beams a warhead into the city.
And we all get vaporized.
That sounds more like a plan F, doesnt it? As in we are totally- If we fight our way to the bay, weIl fly the Jumper to a safe distance.
If we can get the underwater bay door open.
- You cant open this door.
- Im working on it.
Yes, I see that.
We got company.
Sorry, sir, we have to come back for you.
We cant leave them here.
They know too much.
Whatd you tell them? - I mean, they guessed most of it- - What, you filled in the rest? I thought Id have time to get them out of here.
Forget what I said.
Sheppard, get out of here while you still can.
Thats an order.
Im sorry it has to be this way.
Hey, I get it.
Go.
So.
Were back to being vaporized.
What is it, chief? Were receiving a subspace data burst via midway and the alpha site.
Daedalus is holding station at their failsafe point and awaiting your order.
Reply to Colonel Caldwell that General ONeills order stands.
Atlantis is to be destroyed at all costs.
Yes, sir.
Done.
And done.
- Good.
We are well ahead of schedule.
- Perfect.
Lets find someplace out of the way and wait for this thing to be over.
- Come on.
One more to go.
Almost done.
We havent run into a single Replicator.
I know.
Its weird.
Woolsey and ONeill said that there were hundreds of them.
- Where are they? - Lets go.
McKAY: Okay, that should do it.
One more to go.
- Then its all over but the crying.
- Hopefully them, not us.
What the hell? No wonder they werent coming after us.
Theyve been busy repairing the city.
What is that? They brought their ZPMs to power the star drive.
- So that sound is- - The city about to take off.
Its time to start crying.
They have to activate the shield to take off.
- We got most of the emitters.
- Most aint gonna cut it.
- For this to work, its all or nothing.
- What do they want to fly around for? Probably gonna fly home, back to their homeworld.
Or take on the Daedalus.
- How are we gonna stop them? - What? Drones.
They fired drones at us.
That means the chair is active and powered.
Youre gonna fire drones? Were nowhere near the chair.
Yeah, but Teyla and Beckett are.
You want me to do what? - Just do what I say.
All right.
IIl give it a try, but no apologies if I happen to destroy the entire bloody city.
The star drive, Carson, concentrate on the star drive.
- All right.
Teyla - you may have to fight your way in.
- Im ready.
Use your A.
R.
G.
sparingly.
They may build up an immunity.
We may have to go to plan B.
Okay.
Which ones that again? Never mind.
Just go.
Clear.
- Thank you, dear.
- Hurry.
Theyve taken out the guards in the chair room.
What are they doing? - Theyve hit the star drive.
- A team is on their way - to the chair room.
- Make sure they understand.
We need them alive.
Beckett.
Okay, lads.
Easy.
Easy.
And I was so sure we were gonna survive this one.
Me too.
Move.
Bring the prisoners from the other cell.
Everyone okay? So far.
IIl be fine.
Why arent we dead yet? Probably saving us for a little recreational mind probing.
Did everyone get the-? - We completed our task.
- So did we, in the nick of time.
- You? - Yeah, just under the wire.
Did you think youd be able to stop us? Of course we did.
- Why else would we be here? Colonel.
Am I gonna have to fire you? No, sir.
YouIl have that to look forward to when we get back.
Im afraid your plan has been discovered, Colonel Sheppard.
It is over.
He put his hand in my forehead.
How can you resist that? Well, I like to close my eyes and think of England.
Mr.
Woolsey informed us of everything we need to know.
All of your C4 has been removed from the emitters.
Im afraid they wont be destroyed when the Daedalus arrives.
Which should be in any moment.
Your plan has failed.
Talus, the Daedalus - is approaching the planet.
- As expected.
Activate the shield.
C4.
How much do we have? - A bunch, why? - Well, its desperate.
Well, so are we.
WeIl need to split into groups.
Gonna suggest that.
What are you thinking? If were gonna destroy these guys using disrupters, we have to hit them at once.
WeIl get a dozen or so shots before they figure out the frequency.
You gonna get them all to stand in one place? Clever, yes, or we could figure out a way to send one massive blast through the city.
Look, follow me.
Atlantis has 10 of these emitters with which it creates the citys shields.
So if we can interface the crystals from the disrupter weapons with those in the shield emitters we should trigger a massive anti-Replicator wave through the city.
Thats where splitting into teams comes in.
Exactly.
I need to show you how to do this, so listen carefully.
Slide out the crystal tray.
Take the crystal from the weapon.
Place it in the third slot.
Third symbol from the left activates the crystal tray.
Clear on that? Great.
Theyre bound to find one group working on the shields.
Thought of that.
Thats what the C4 is for.
- We blow them up? - No, we feed them misinformation.
All right.
Once you guys made all your alterations avoid using your shiny new toys, even if that means getting caught, okay? If we plant charges in the emitters before the Daedalus arrives when the Replicators activate the shield- The C4 detonates, the Daedalus beams a warhead into the city.
And we all get vaporized.
That sounds more like a plan F, doesnt it? General ONeill didnt buy it, but I think Woolsey did.
I did win a Sears Drama Festival award when I was a kid.
Couldve made it a career if I wanted to.
Wish you wouldve.
- Aah! - Unh! We need to get to the shield emitter stations.
Remove the C4 explosive you find there.
Way to resist.
I said I wasnt good at this.
Talus, the Daedalus - is approaching the planet.
- As expected.
Activate the shield.
Ha! It worked.
I cant believe it.
- Rodney, amazing.
- Well, it was a group effort.
Good old plan D, works every time.
You guys stay here a sec.
Excuse me, but what just happened? We turned the shield into a giant weapon.
- I knew that.
- You knew? Ive seen Carter crack enough codes to know that McKay was faking.
He was? I bought it completely.
I believe that was the point.
Wait a minute.
You used me? Youre alive and youre welcome.
Hey.
Were clear.
Weve gotta get to the control room and contact the Daedalus.
You see, Richard.
You were good for something.
Thanks.
Sir, I have an incoming message from Atlantis.
Atlantis.
Is it Replicators? No, sir.
It has Colonel Sheppards authentication code.
Open a channel.
- Colonel, Id like to believe this is you.
Well, it is.
Authentication code alpha-delta charlie-niner-six.
That code is no longer valid, colonel.
Hey, Caldwell.
General Jack ONeill here.
That valid enough for you? You may have been compromised, sir.
Were lowering the citys shield, Steven.
Send a team to come check us out if you need to.
WeIl explain everything.
Get a team of Marines ready to beam down.
This should be an interesting explanation.
Getting all settled in? Easily.
Although their decorating? A little bit Spartan for my liking.
But the Replicators did do a fine job on rebuilding stargate operations back to its original state.
How about yourself? Do you check out okay? Apparently, I dont have any little tiny robots floating in my bloodstream which is always nice to hear.
Hm.
That it is.
So, what now? Oh, a Jumper ride home to the SGC, followed by a hot shower - followed by a hot toddy- - I was thinking a little more selfishly.
What are the chances of my team staying here in Atlantis? Uh - Élizabeth, if it were up to me- - It is up to you.
Right.
You can stay.
Really? Youre gonna have to get the stamp from the I.
O.
A.
But since you saved Woolseys ass and you did a fair job on mine I dont think thatIl be a problem.
Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you very much.
Hey, you came back to rescue me.
Hm.
Yes, we did.
Of course, next time, consider bringing Carter with you.
Welcome home.
Our intention is to destroy it.
- Why? - Retribution.
McKAY: Its an Ancient warship.
The city is now under my control.
They needed to know how much time we needed to vacate the city.
I said 48 hours.
The Pegasus Replicators are heading back to Atlantis.
Atlantis is under attack from Replicators.
Request immediate evacuation.
Theyre coming.
ONeill and Woolsey may be alive.
I know the city like the back of my hand.
Just give me 60 Marines and some of Colonel Carters new, um- - Anti-Replicator weapons.
- Those things.
Im sorry, colonel, I have standing orders.
The Daedalus will be there in a little under four days.
We need one of us added to the authorized list.
- Theres only one guy who can do that.
- I gotta say Ive never met a woman this into » World of Warcraft.
» Colonel Sheppard, stand down.
IIl be damned if Im gonna let a bunch of Replicators take our home away.
General.
General.
And if Im a Replicator? - Then Ive just exposed my position.
- Again.
Im sorry.
Im not very good at this.
- Here.
- Thank God.
Im starving.
Was this all you could find? No, actually, there was a lovely buffet.
How did the recon go? Well, the stargate OPs is crawling with them.
Theres no way were gonna get across to the Jumper bay.
Are they looking for us? I plum forgot to ask.
As long as the life-signs detectors arent working in these damaged areas we should be able to hold out until they rescue us.
Uh, Richard, theres not going to be a rescue.
- What? - Landry has standing orders to nuke the city if theres any sign of a foothold situation.
What kind of a standing order is that? Mine.
Whats happening? Activate the shield.
I cant.
McKAY: Thats confirmation.
- The gates shield is lowered.
- I hope this little plan of ours works.
Yeah, you and me both.
Authentication code alpha-six delta-charlie-niner.
General ONeill, Woolsey, do you copy? - Sheppard, is that you? - Yes, sir.
I need to know if youre near stargate operations.
- No, were not.
Thats good.
Cant talk now, sir.
Get back to you in a couple of hours.
Sheppard out.
- Drop the package.
McKAY: Package is away.
Hold on.
Follow me.
That went well.
That sounded like an explosion.
Because it was.
Is Sheppard attacking the city? He better be.
Why cant he get back to us for two hours? I dont know.
Its coming up on 2300 hours, sir.
- I can see that, chief.
- Yes, sir.
I have to assume Sheppard heard my message and chose to ignore it.
Theres no way to be 100 percent certain- He heard me, all right.
Theyre already in Pegasus doing goodness knows what.
Which leaves me no choice but to lock out their IDCs and invalidate their personal authentication codes.
- If theyre successful in- - We have no way of knowing whether theyve been successful or if theyve been compromised.
I have my standing orders and Im gonna follow them.
Now, when youre done locking out those IDCs have Dr.
Lee report to my office.
Yes, sir.
It was good to be back, however briefly.
- I feel like Im gonna be ill.
- Dont be.
Just take some deep breaths, Carson.
Should we not have informed General ONeill of our plan? He knows were here.
WeIl contact him again as soon as we get closer.
Thats gonna be easier said than done.
Those hits we took, its impossible to convert the shield to a cloak.
- By impossible you mean- - Not possible.
What do you think I mean? Yeah, well, hopefully we took out the sensors when we blew the tower.
Well, you said they could rebuild remarkably fast.
How long before they restore critical systems? A couple of hours.
Then theres the painting and redecorating.
If we time this right, this could work to our advantage.
Got him.
Right where we left him.
- Thats him.
- Who else would it be? True.
Power levels are barely registering.
No wonder the Replicators didnt find him.
IIl swing around and pick him up.
Watch yourselves, Im closing the bulkhead.
Will we not be vulnerable to the same virus with which Niam infected Élizabeth? Hes been floating in space for over a month.
Existing in such a harsh environment solar radiation has severely diminished his power levels.
Were fairly certain hes almost completely incapacitated.
- Is he dead? McKAY: As in mostly dead.
Besides, we dont have a choice.
Hes the key to our whole plan.
All right, but if he even twitches Dont worry.
Thank you.
Got him.
Closing the rear hatch.
Take the seat.
The compartments repressurized.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay, this is good.
Power levels are minimal but not too minimal.
Im fairly sure he doesnt have the juice to regain consciousness.
Whoa.
I was fairly sure.
Just load the program.
Repairs are underway in stargate operations.
But we have lost all main sensors.
Were trying to route all the telemetry through these terminals.
They were not designed to take on many systems.
We have several observers around the city.
If the gateship returns, weIl detect it visually.
They communicated briefly with someone within the city.
WeIl send search parties here and here.
All Ancients were killed.
Their commander attempted to conceal that fact as I probed her mind.
There may have been a small number of humans.
We would have detected them.
They may be hiding where the sensors are inoperable.
If we want to capture the ones who attacked us we must first capture those they came for.
Well, done yet? - I think were good to go.
IIl take us back.
- Why dont we do this from here? - Do what from here? Render the Replicators helpless, Rodney.
- Remember the plan? - Of course.
Its my plan.
Actually, using Niam was Élizabeths plan.
Thank you.
McKAY: Its mostly my plan.
Its my freezing program.
You said theyd be frozen seven hours.
- Why not do it now? McKAY: Ive gotta keep Niam at nominal power levels, otherwise we risk him waking.
Low power means short range, short range means we need to get closer.
- How much closer? - Much.
- With no cloak? - No cloak.
Good to be back home, huh? Hmph.
Theres no place like it.
I realize I was duped, general but they were incredible.
- It was like a scene out of The Sting- - Thats not why I brought you in here.
This was something they had planned for a long time.
Forget about it.
Id like to know your opinion on the best way to disable the gate bridge between galaxies.
We just finished building that.
Im aware of that.
Okay.
Well, um, I suppose if one were to detonate a Mark IX at the midway station, that would pretty much do it.
I thought so.
Id like you to supervise the preparation of a Mark IX - to keep our options open.
- Uh You could dismantle it.
Of course - it would take a bit more time.
- Which we may not have.
Wow, that is such a shame.
Doctor why are you still in my office? Oh, right.
All right, were about a mile out.
Okay, IIl start broadcasting the virus now but were gonna need to get closer than that.
- Drones.
- McKay.
- Were still not close enough.
- Hang on.
That sounded like another explosion.
Yes.
Yes, it did.
What does that mean? Something exploded? Is it Sheppard attacking the Replicators, or the Replicators attacking Sheppard? WeIl find out.
How did they even get here? Through the gate? Ive been sitting next to you through the whole thing.
Why do you think I have more information? Look, I told you I wasnt good at this.
He said hed be back in a couple of hours.
That gives him a good 11 seconds.
What was that? If we keep this up, there wont be much of a city left to save.
IIl try to run the drones into your least favorite buildings.
McKay! - It should be working.
- Its not working.
If I give him more power, heIl wake up and kill us all.
Sheppard cant keep this up forever.
Shields have been damaged.
Ive had enough.
I got a different idea.
Theyre overdue.
- Not yet.
- Its been well over 11 seconds.
- Yes.
But youve been ignoring the dramatic element of suspense.
General ONeill, are you there, sir? - See.
- Oh, thank God.
Yes, were here.
- Youre late.
Sorry, sir.
We had to go into space and pick up some frozen goods.
Whatever.
Where are you now? Were not exactly inside the city yet.
Were headed toward an underwater Jumper bay.
Well, what we think may be an underwater jumper bay.
- Is that Dr.
Weir I hear? Yes, general.
Its good to hear your voice too.
I didnt say it was good, Élizabeth.
Please dont be offended as I express my surprise that Landry would send you on a mission like this.
Well, sir, General Landry didnt sanction this mission.
So am I to assume youre not surrounded by heavily armed SG teams and young, strapping marines.
Youve got Colonel Sheppard, Ronon Teyla, McKay, myself, and Dr.
Beckett.
Oh, Dr.
Beckett, is it? Well, Im comforted.
Whats that supposed to mean? Okay.
Im ready to open the lock.
Weve got a plan, sir.
A good one.
Yes, colonel, Im sure you do.
But in the unlikely event you dont fail miserably youre fired.
Yes, sir.
I look forward to that.
They have a plan.
I heard.
Careful.
- Thanks, doc.
McKAY: Okay, closing the outer door.
Yes.
Now I just have to pressurize the compartment and we are- Huh? What? Its not letting me do it.
Waters not draining out.
Yeah.
An excellent observation.
Thank you.
It is, however, draining in.
Oh, not again.
Guess we took some damage.
I want to point out this was not my idea.
You said get us close to the city.
This is close.
- And yet no cigar.
Right.
Just open up the outer doors.
IIl figure something else out.
- Oh, dear.
- What? I dont think Im gonna be able to open the outer door.
Why not? I think it might be jammed.
- Might? - Okay, is.
Well, thats unfortunate.
Yeah, Id have to agree with you on that.
This part of the plan isnt going so well.
There must be a manual override somewhere.
In the bays control room.
- Yes.
- Okay, IIl swim to it.
- Which is sealed from the other side.
- Of course it is.
Perhaps General ONeill can reach it.
Give me half an hour to get Niam to the right power levels so we can do this.
Weve got more than one fracture.
We dont have that kind of time.
General ONeill, were gonna need a favor.
McKAY Okay, there should be a hatch leading down to the next level.
Do you see it? Yeah, sure do.
I see it.
The control room should be almost directly below.
Okay, slight problem here.
Whats that? Well, the level below is completely flooded too.
Ah.
I, uh, couldnt convince you to take a swim today, could I? All right, if you hear something dont call out to it.
Shoot it.
- Understood.
Anything thats not me is a Replicator.
So dont hesitate.
You wont be gone long, will you? Uh, kind of depends on the temperature of the water.
Not long.
McKay what do I do once I get down there? Theres a manual override in the center of the console.
ItIl be obvious once you get in there.
All right.
Good luck.
Thank you.
All right.
Here I go.
Did you do it? Radio.
- McKay.
McKAY Did you do it? You and I have very different ideas of what obvious is.
Ive never seen it before.
There are dozens of controls there I wouldnt even know how to describe.
Its an emergency control, it should be the most prominent.
Oh, God.
God, you can hold your breath long.
You almost gave me a heart attack.
Me too.
McKAY: General.
It sounded like you had the right control.
Why did you stop? Its a dead-man switch.
I have to hold it in place.
I had no idea.
Really? Oh, God.
McKAY: Hes doing it.
Hes almost got it.
McKAY Tell him, like, I can do this.
Woolsey? Woolsey, come in.
Somethings wrong.
McKay, you stay here and reprogram Niam.
Were gonna meet General ONeill and Woolsey.
All right? Wait for your okay.
Whoa! Yeah.
Dont move.
Where are the others? What others? Theyve been captured? - Yeah.
Looks like.
Which means their minds will be probed for information any minute now.
mcKay, fire up that virus.
I am working as fast as I can.
The Replicators have ONeill and Woolsey.
Unfortunately, that information cant make me work any faster.
This way.
What were you doing - in the flooded sections of the city? - The backstroke.
I think.
What are you planning? Well, I was planning to retire but, man, is that overrated.
I mean, its not like Im a workaholic or anything, but, you know I like to stay active with the community.
Its a health maintenance sort of thing.
You know? I dont like where this is going.
What are they doing? Oh! What you doing? Probing your mind.
Kind of roomy, aint it? Your ability to resist is quite remarkable, General ONeill.
Its not the first time Ive had a hand in my head, as it were.
If you do not give me what Im looking for - I am sure Richard Woolsey will.
IIl tell you what.
You look around and IIl tell you if youre getting warmer or colder, all right? Ah.
There it is.
So.
Hot, I guess.
- Aah! - Unh! That was the worst thing Ive ever experienced.
Yeah.
It gets worse.
McKAY: Okay, if I- That should- Yeah.
Okay.
Yes.
Stand by.
Ive got his power levels as high as Im comfortable with.
Im gonna try to get him to- Youve been warned about tampering with our base code, doctor.
You wont get a second chance.
mcKay.
Come in, mcKay.
Fall back to the Jumper.
Were gonna need a new plan.
He just came to life.
- They got to ONeill and Woolsey.
- ONeill wouldve never gave us away.
- Their minds were probed.
They know were here and how.
Which was how they were able to reactivate Niam, which screws plan A.
Could you activate the freeze program another way? I need to load the program into a Replicator.
All right, that plans out the window.
We need another one.
These weapons blow them apart, right? I say we just start killing them.
McKAY: Normally I would share your enthusiasm.
But these only work for so long before they identify the frequency they use to disrupt the bonds that hold the Replicators together.
- Whatd he say? - They build up an immunity.
Exactly.
The freezing plan would have worked because theyd be unable to communicate.
The more we shoot, the greater the likelihood - these weapons become ineffective.
- So, what are our options? - I just gave you one.
- WeIl call that plan B.
Anyone for a plan C? - C4.
How much do we have? - A bunch.
Why? - Well, its desperate.
- Well, so are we.
WeIl need to split into groups.
I was gonna suggest that.
What are you thinking? We far outnumber them if we conduct a search.
WeIl locate them more effectively once repairs are complete.
The damage was severe.
We had to dismantle our ship to provide the raw materials.
Once repaired, Atlantis will be all the ship we need.
Well, its about time.
- Thank God.
All right.
Get them out of here.
IIl stand guard.
Hey.
Thanks for the rescue.
- Oh, hey, no problem.
No.
You should be saying, thanks for the rescue.
Oh, uh, right.
Thanks.
I should have you out of there in no time.
This wont take long at all.
Oh, my.
Theyve changed the codes.
But you can crack it, right? You need to get us out of here.
Of course I can.
Just give me, like, one or two seconds.
So I guess that frozen-Replicator plan didnt pan out.
Yeah.
Not so much.
Hows that plan B working for you? Good? Actually, its more like plan C.
C as in C4, if you catch my drift.
No.
Lets say, were concerned the Daedalus wont be able to carry out your orders.
What? Destroy Atlantis with nuclear weapons? I thought we were past that.
- Why go back to that? - Its the only way.
Can you do that? If we plant charges in all shield emitters before the Daedalus arrives when the Replicators activate the shield- The C4 detonates, the Daedalus beams a warhead into the city.
And we all get vaporized.
That sounds more like a plan F, doesnt it? As in we are totally- If we fight our way to the bay, weIl fly the Jumper to a safe distance.
If we can get the underwater bay door open.
- You cant open this door.
- Im working on it.
Yes, I see that.
We got company.
Sorry, sir, we have to come back for you.
We cant leave them here.
They know too much.
Whatd you tell them? - I mean, they guessed most of it- - What, you filled in the rest? I thought Id have time to get them out of here.
Forget what I said.
Sheppard, get out of here while you still can.
Thats an order.
Im sorry it has to be this way.
Hey, I get it.
Go.
So.
Were back to being vaporized.
What is it, chief? Were receiving a subspace data burst via midway and the alpha site.
Daedalus is holding station at their failsafe point and awaiting your order.
Reply to Colonel Caldwell that General ONeills order stands.
Atlantis is to be destroyed at all costs.
Yes, sir.
Done.
And done.
- Good.
We are well ahead of schedule.
- Perfect.
Lets find someplace out of the way and wait for this thing to be over.
- Come on.
One more to go.
Almost done.
We havent run into a single Replicator.
I know.
Its weird.
Woolsey and ONeill said that there were hundreds of them.
- Where are they? - Lets go.
McKAY: Okay, that should do it.
One more to go.
- Then its all over but the crying.
- Hopefully them, not us.
What the hell? No wonder they werent coming after us.
Theyve been busy repairing the city.
What is that? They brought their ZPMs to power the star drive.
- So that sound is- - The city about to take off.
Its time to start crying.
They have to activate the shield to take off.
- We got most of the emitters.
- Most aint gonna cut it.
- For this to work, its all or nothing.
- What do they want to fly around for? Probably gonna fly home, back to their homeworld.
Or take on the Daedalus.
- How are we gonna stop them? - What? Drones.
They fired drones at us.
That means the chair is active and powered.
Youre gonna fire drones? Were nowhere near the chair.
Yeah, but Teyla and Beckett are.
You want me to do what? - Just do what I say.
All right.
IIl give it a try, but no apologies if I happen to destroy the entire bloody city.
The star drive, Carson, concentrate on the star drive.
- All right.
Teyla - you may have to fight your way in.
- Im ready.
Use your A.
R.
G.
sparingly.
They may build up an immunity.
We may have to go to plan B.
Okay.
Which ones that again? Never mind.
Just go.
Clear.
- Thank you, dear.
- Hurry.
Theyve taken out the guards in the chair room.
What are they doing? - Theyve hit the star drive.
- A team is on their way - to the chair room.
- Make sure they understand.
We need them alive.
Beckett.
Okay, lads.
Easy.
Easy.
And I was so sure we were gonna survive this one.
Me too.
Move.
Bring the prisoners from the other cell.
Everyone okay? So far.
IIl be fine.
Why arent we dead yet? Probably saving us for a little recreational mind probing.
Did everyone get the-? - We completed our task.
- So did we, in the nick of time.
- You? - Yeah, just under the wire.
Did you think youd be able to stop us? Of course we did.
- Why else would we be here? Colonel.
Am I gonna have to fire you? No, sir.
YouIl have that to look forward to when we get back.
Im afraid your plan has been discovered, Colonel Sheppard.
It is over.
He put his hand in my forehead.
How can you resist that? Well, I like to close my eyes and think of England.
Mr.
Woolsey informed us of everything we need to know.
All of your C4 has been removed from the emitters.
Im afraid they wont be destroyed when the Daedalus arrives.
Which should be in any moment.
Your plan has failed.
Talus, the Daedalus - is approaching the planet.
- As expected.
Activate the shield.
C4.
How much do we have? - A bunch, why? - Well, its desperate.
Well, so are we.
WeIl need to split into groups.
Gonna suggest that.
What are you thinking? If were gonna destroy these guys using disrupters, we have to hit them at once.
WeIl get a dozen or so shots before they figure out the frequency.
You gonna get them all to stand in one place? Clever, yes, or we could figure out a way to send one massive blast through the city.
Look, follow me.
Atlantis has 10 of these emitters with which it creates the citys shields.
So if we can interface the crystals from the disrupter weapons with those in the shield emitters we should trigger a massive anti-Replicator wave through the city.
Thats where splitting into teams comes in.
Exactly.
I need to show you how to do this, so listen carefully.
Slide out the crystal tray.
Take the crystal from the weapon.
Place it in the third slot.
Third symbol from the left activates the crystal tray.
Clear on that? Great.
Theyre bound to find one group working on the shields.
Thought of that.
Thats what the C4 is for.
- We blow them up? - No, we feed them misinformation.
All right.
Once you guys made all your alterations avoid using your shiny new toys, even if that means getting caught, okay? If we plant charges in the emitters before the Daedalus arrives when the Replicators activate the shield- The C4 detonates, the Daedalus beams a warhead into the city.
And we all get vaporized.
That sounds more like a plan F, doesnt it? General ONeill didnt buy it, but I think Woolsey did.
I did win a Sears Drama Festival award when I was a kid.
Couldve made it a career if I wanted to.
Wish you wouldve.
- Aah! - Unh! We need to get to the shield emitter stations.
Remove the C4 explosive you find there.
Way to resist.
I said I wasnt good at this.
Talus, the Daedalus - is approaching the planet.
- As expected.
Activate the shield.
Ha! It worked.
I cant believe it.
- Rodney, amazing.
- Well, it was a group effort.
Good old plan D, works every time.
You guys stay here a sec.
Excuse me, but what just happened? We turned the shield into a giant weapon.
- I knew that.
- You knew? Ive seen Carter crack enough codes to know that McKay was faking.
He was? I bought it completely.
I believe that was the point.
Wait a minute.
You used me? Youre alive and youre welcome.
Hey.
Were clear.
Weve gotta get to the control room and contact the Daedalus.
You see, Richard.
You were good for something.
Thanks.
Sir, I have an incoming message from Atlantis.
Atlantis.
Is it Replicators? No, sir.
It has Colonel Sheppards authentication code.
Open a channel.
- Colonel, Id like to believe this is you.
Well, it is.
Authentication code alpha-delta charlie-niner-six.
That code is no longer valid, colonel.
Hey, Caldwell.
General Jack ONeill here.
That valid enough for you? You may have been compromised, sir.
Were lowering the citys shield, Steven.
Send a team to come check us out if you need to.
WeIl explain everything.
Get a team of Marines ready to beam down.
This should be an interesting explanation.
Getting all settled in? Easily.
Although their decorating? A little bit Spartan for my liking.
But the Replicators did do a fine job on rebuilding stargate operations back to its original state.
How about yourself? Do you check out okay? Apparently, I dont have any little tiny robots floating in my bloodstream which is always nice to hear.
Hm.
That it is.
So, what now? Oh, a Jumper ride home to the SGC, followed by a hot shower - followed by a hot toddy- - I was thinking a little more selfishly.
What are the chances of my team staying here in Atlantis? Uh - Élizabeth, if it were up to me- - It is up to you.
Right.
You can stay.
Really? Youre gonna have to get the stamp from the I.
O.
A.
But since you saved Woolseys ass and you did a fair job on mine I dont think thatIl be a problem.
Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say thank you very much.
Hey, you came back to rescue me.
Hm.
Yes, we did.
Of course, next time, consider bringing Carter with you.
Welcome home.