Stargate: Atlantis s03e15 Episode Script

Let me ask you a question.
Say there’s a runaway train.
It’s hurtling towards ten people standing in the middle of the tracks.
Only way to save those people is to flip a switch send the train down another set of tracks.
The only problem is there is a baby in the middle of those tracks.
Why would anyone leave a baby in a harm’s way? I don’t know.
That’s not the point.
It’s a dilemma.
Katie brought it up the other night.
The question is, is it appropriate to divert the train and kill the one baby to save ten people? Wouldn’t the people see the train and move? No, they wouldn’t see it.
- Why not? - Look, I don’t know.
Say they’re blind.
- All of them? - Yes, all of them.
Why don’t you call out and tell them to move? - Because they can’t hear you.
- What, they’re deaf too? - How fast is the train? - The speed doesn’t matter.
It does.
If it’s going slow, you could outrun it and shove everyone to the side.
- Or better yet, go get the baby.
- For God’s sake, I was trying to- Rodney? - Yes, go ahead.
major Lorne just dialed in from m4D-058.
He says he’s got something you’Il want to see.
Work it out.
We came through the spacegate and noticed satellites in geosynchronous orbit above the planet.
An advanced civilization.
That’s what we thought.
And we picked up life signs directly below, so we flew down saw villages separated by a river and decided to check one of them out.
And as you can see, sergeant, these people don’t exactly look like they’re ready to be launching any satellites.
At least not for the next 500 years or so.
Ancients probably put them up there.
Send a science team to check it out.
Actually, I think Dr.
mcKay may want to come check this one out for himself.
Why? Take a look.
How did your face get on that flag? Oh, I don’t know.
Here’s the thing, though.
That flag’s similar to the one I designed in our game.
It’s exactly the one you designed in our game.
- What game? - The game Rodney and I play.
- We didn’t tell you? - Been playing a while.
Yeah, off and on in our spare time, at night, between missions.
- I could’ve sworn we told you about it.
- What game? It started a while ago.
McKAY: A few months after we arrived, we were exploring checking out labs on the east pier, when we discovered a room.
There were several Ancient consoles and screens.
It’s quite an impressive layout.
As usual, everything sprang to life as soon as we entered.
First we thought it was a geological facility.
There was a screen with a map that we assumed was off the Lantian mainland.
Yes, I remember you briefing me about that.
- We did tell you.
- You mentioned nothing about a game.
Because we didn’t know what it was.
Rodney studied more closely.
He realized it wasn’t a geological lab at all.
McKAY: No, it turns out it was, in fact, a kind of Ancient game room.
The map was a fictional civilization.
It was part of a simulated world.
Sweet.
What you do is, you take these countries in a database and you assume control of them.
Two societies, separated by a river.
Sheppard took one country.
I took the other.
First thing Rodney did besides renaming his country was to put his face all over the flag.
I think you need to check this planet out.
So the ancestors created this game? Yes, but this is no ordinary game.
I mean, it is incredibly challenging, instructional.
The sheer number of options built into it.
Staggering.
- How does one play it? - Figure out a way to run your country.
Yeah, you build roads, you establish laws mould it to your own specific ideology.
McKAY: You can control everything.
Proper sanitation systems, water delivery, transportation.
I mean, every detail can be manipulated.
I mean, right down to the women’s hairstyles.
Hello there.
- So how do you win this game? - It’s not really about winning.
McKAY: It’s more about whose society outshines the other’s.
I mean, who creates a better infrastructure, who’s better at trade.
What? Hey, don’t start.
I tried to negotiate with you.
Making a list of demands and not giving anything in return is not negotiating.
- I offered you a crop of beans.
- I don’t need beans.
I need lumber.
Right, to build defensive fortifications for your army which he doubled in size, by the way.
Surprise, surprise.
- I did that after you started cheating.
- I didn’t cheat.
Giving his people too much technology for their level of development.
I’m not the only one increasing my army.
I had to do something to protect the people of Geldar from you.
- Geldar? - It’s the name of Rodney’s country.
He named it after a girl he stalked in college.
I did not stalk her.
We dated twice.
Teresa Geldar, a very cute blond.
I used to think her name reminded me of some kind of mythological land.
The kingdom of Geldar.
What did you call your country? Well, I just kept the name it already had.
- Well, there are the satellites.
- Dozens of them.
Positioned directly above the continent.
Perfect grid.
Ten-by-ten.
I should have a visual on one of them.
Definitely looks Ancient.
And active.
It’s transmitting a tremendous amount of data.
All right, let’s check it out.
McKAY: This is amazing.
If you say so.
Oh, yeah.
That’s something you see in every medieval village.
Yes, well, the Renaissance obviously came early to these folks.
A couple of hundred years early.
Mm, Rodney? Say something.
- Like what? - I don’t know.
Hello.
I am Nola.
Yes, well, this is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard Teyla Emmaga, Ronon Dex, and I’m McKay.
Dr.
Rodney McKay.
The resemblance is uncanny.
- You are the Oracle.
- The Oracle? Welcome to Geldar.
Please forgive my nervousness.
I never thought you’d appear to us in the flesh.
Why do you refer to him as the Oracle? The Oracle is a wise and omnipotent deity.
- Boy, she’s in for a rude awakening.
Thousands of years ago he gave our ancestors life.
He instructed how to build their society, to live their lives.
His guidance was revered by all.
Then one day, without warning, the Oracle ceased all communications.
War with the Wraith.
Our people were puzzled, but they continued to adhere to his instructions living their lives according to his teachings which they passed down from generation to generation.
Have you not had any trouble with the Wraith? Yes, they’ve come periodically culled our people, destroyed our villages.
Those who survived rebuilt but only to the level at which the Oracle had instructed before he left.
We found ourselves stalled in our development unwilling to push forward without the Oracle’s guidance.
Hoping one day he would return to us.
And two years ago, he did.
The Oracle resumed communicating with us, teaching us many new things.
He challenged us to think, to push the limit of our endeavors.
He changed the name of our country, and revealed his likeness.
Enough with the pictures.
McKAY: Ah.
And you communicate through that.
The portal? Yes.
It’s through this that we receive our instructions.
The Oracle knows when you’ve carried them out? Yes.
- It’s the satellites.
They must be tracking everything then relaying it via subspace back to Atlantis.
Remarkable.
So not a game, after all.
No, it’s obviously some kind of Ancient experiment.
Social development.
Try out different ways to create civilizations.
- This country here.
- Hallona.
A persistent thorn in our side.
Now that you’ve come to us, you can help us remove it.
So this is it.
Yes, yes.
It is an amazing piece of technology.
It appears to be a sociological experiment designed by the Ancients to help them as they were seeding civilizations throughout Pegasus.
I’ve had a chance to look at it.
There are many more civilizations in the game’s database.
Really? I thought Rodney said there were only the two.
That’s what he thought.
The countries that he and Colonel Sheppard are controlling are on this specific planet but I’ve been able to access the codes to unlock additional levels to the game.
I mean, to the experiment.
I discovered countries on planets throughout the galaxy.
Some have been idle for 10,000 years.
They’re waiting instructions from the Ancients but some have managed to develop on their own, even flourish.
Some have been destroyed by war and others have been completely wiped out.
Not that Rodney’s and Colonel Sheppard’s societies are on this path.
So much power at one’s fingertips.
It’s amazing, the attraction of this game.
We’ve managed to achieve propulsion through hand-powered propellers but now, we’re undertaking tests of steam-powered propulsion.
Only this morning, I completed a test that proved quite promising.
Really? That’s great.
- You’re pleased? - Yes.
Yes.
I mean, this is- This is quite an achievement.
What’s he doing here? It wasn’t my idea.
Dr.
Rodney McKay meet Baden.
Oh, your guy.
- My guy.
- Yeah, it figures.
I should have you arrested for trespassing.
- Go ahead and try.
Easy now.
I brought him here because we need to have a little discussion.
I have nothing to say to him.
- Fine with me.
- Yeah, maybe not.
But we definitely have something to say to you.
So his story is pretty much the same as Nola’s.
His ancestors received instructions from their oracle who disappeared for thousands of years only to suddenly resume communicating a few years ago.
McKAY: Let me guess.
He told you to double the size of your army.
Yes, he has a capable army and some nice villages.
No people riding bicycles, or hot-air balloons - because we weren’t cheating.
- I didn’t cheat.
Have you come to agree to our proposals? You mean demands? Never.
- Then I refuse to sit at the same table- - Look, look.
Please, just sit.
Thank you.
This hostility between you.
Have your people lived like this for thousands of years? No.
There was once peace between our lands.
Oh, no.
So this hostility, did it start a few years ago? Yes, shortly after the Oracle resumed communicating with us.
So they’re starving? Well, not as of yet.
If they don’t change their approach to agriculture it won’t be long before their people go hungry.
The frustrating thing is, there is a piece of fertile soil in the south of the country that would be ideal for tuber cultivation, you know? - I’m sorry, tuber? - Tuber, yeah.
Tuber.
It is indigenous to the planet.
It’s like a potato.
So why didn’t you say potato? Because it’s not a potato, it’s larger.
It has the same texture and nutrients as a potato but it’s like a cantaloupe.
- That’s a pretty big potato.
- It is a big potato.
- If they plant this thing there, it’Il grow? - Yeah, whole fields of it.
I mean, they could sustain an entire village but they are oblivious to it.
Well, tell them.
Anonymously.
Oh, come on, doc.
You can either stand here and let the people die or you can help them out.
Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
As soon as we input the instructions into our console, they are relayed back to this device by a number of satellites in orbit over your planet.
Once you’ve carried out the instructions, the satellites transmit the real-time results back to us on our home world.
So you’re saying this is a game? No.
No.
I mean, we thought it was a game, but- We didn’t know there were real people on the other end.
You are the Oracle? I’m your Oracle, yes.
- That doesn’t sound right.
- This is difficult to absorb - but it is all true.
You flew in the Puddle Jumper.
- You know they have the technology.
- I’m not listening to this.
Just hold on here.
We can prove it to you.
How? Let’s go for a ride.
Baden.
Nola.
This is Dr.
Weir, the leader of our expedition.
Welcome to Atlantis.
If these two gentlemen haven’t done so already, let me please offer you our sincerest apologies for this intrusion into your lives.
- Intrusion? - Imposition, maybe.
And a benevolent one at that.
If you could see the villages compared to when we started- Rodney.
Now, why don’t you take them to your game room? Show them what you two have been up to.
Right.
Shall we? So this is Geldar and this is Hallona.
Look, two weeks ago I instructed you to start digging a well for the new settlement on the eastern slope, and look here.
There.
See? Construction’s already begun.
Yes.
I gave the order myself.
Our lives are just a game.
Well, now, no.
They’re not games to you, and in our defense we were trying to improve your lives.
Everything we did, every instruction we gave was to better conditions for your people.
- Even if that meant cheating.
- Okay, enough with that already.
McKAY: Is the room okay? It’s fine.
Well, then, if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask, okay? You hungry? Because we could walk across to the mess hall.
They’ve got, I think, it’s Salisbury steak today.
It’s very good.
They have a gravy that they put on the steak part The Oracle was a god to us.
I believed in his teachings.
So much so that my people elected me leader because of my passion for scientific advancement.
Well, they obviously made the right choice.
Now I must resolve myself to the fact that the Oracle is only a man.
Yeah.
Sorry about that.
It’s like I said, though, I did what I did with the best of intentions.
To win a game.
No.
No, no.
It is not about winning or losing.
The information I gave you and your people is very real, very useful.
I’ve set you on a course that will allow you to develop into a modern society.
Where were you two years ago? You were a primitive disparate cluster of villages stalled in development.
Now you’re making dirigibles.
Do you have any idea how momentous that is? The Oracle once said: « Ask not what Geldar can do for you, but what you can do for Geldar.
» Those were your words.
Um- Give or take.
They are very wise.
Yes.
Yes, they are.
Now that you know the truth, you can go back to living your own lives.
We won’t bother you anymore.
No.
You must still help us.
You don’t need our help.
You’Il be fine.
We need more weapons.
The flying machine you brought us here in.
You called it a Puddle Jumper.
Our army could use it.
No.
We can’t do that.
But you encouraged me to increase the military.
In response to McKay, the other oracle, doing things that I thought were- Aggressive? Arrogant? Demeaning to me and my people? I will give you arrogant and demeaning, but- The people of Geldar have started digging beneath our borders to exploit coal resources on our land.
Really? It was only confirmed yesterday.
This, after several diplomatic attempts to reach a compromise.
Yeah, we couldn’t come to an agreement but I didn’t think he would start digging.
I’m curious to know what response you would have to such an incursion.
I believe your next command would be to launch an attack on the mine.
Prevent them from digging further.
I’m right, aren’t I? Did they believe you? Yes, they are fully aware of the situation.
Not too thrilled.
- We’ve got a big problem, though.
- What is it? Game or no game, we’ve started something these people don’t wanna stop.
They hate each other and may be headed for a very real war.
Great.
Great.
And this is thanks to your benevolent imposition.
I’ve asked you here this morning so we could have a face-to-face talk.
Now, hopefully, I can help you reach an understanding.
Where’s Dr.
McKay? I’ve asked that neither he nor Colonel Sheppard participate.
I think they’ve done enough in fostering the current tension between you.
I’ve had some experience brokering peace treaties.
I’m sure we can find some common ground.
Okay, why don’t we start by going back a few years to the time when your two peoples lived in peace? We were naive back then.
Ignorant to our potential.
Once we began to challenge ourselves intellectually we began to see how the people of Hallona had been abusing thousands of years of kindness from us.
I’ve done everything I could to achieve peace with you.
Really? Such as? I send gifts of goodwill.
You sent crates of citrus fruit.
Citrus.
Do you have any idea what an insult that is to my people? - It didn’t used to be.
- I think I know where that comes from.
Did the Oracle tell you that citrus fruit was bad? He made us aware of its toxic properties, yes.
Everything is toxic to you.
When they’re not busy insulting us they’re complaining about contaminated food, improper hygiene.
Even the sunlight is dangerous to them.
The only insult has been your unwillingness to compromise in any trade negotiation.
Instead, you choose to increase the size of your army.
You built an army too.
- Only in response to your aggression.
My aggression? You dig a mine beneath our border to steal our coal and you talk about aggression? - We’re not stealing your coal.
- You crossed into our land.
What do you need it for anyway? It’s not like you know what to do with it.
- You see how she insults us? - By stating a fact.
Okay, please, if we could discuss this reasonably I’m sure we can come to some sort of- We’ve tried.
They agree to nothing.
And until Dr.
McKay is brought into this discussion I have nothing further to say.
That went well.
Talk to them.
Get them back to the table and hammer out a truce.
I’ve run into a roadblock.
- Really? Nola seemed very agreeable.
- To you.
Well, more agreeable than Richard the Lion-Heart.
They are both refusing to compromise.
You seem to have convinced them they can’t make decisions without your guidance.
- That’s not true.
- Tell them that.
This is delicious.
Listen, you need to make peace with the people of Hallona.
If tensions keep rising like this, it could lead to war.
I’m aware of that.
Then you’re also aware that people will get hurt.
I know the danger to my people.
I also know you’ve taught us things Baden’s band of knuckle-draggers won’t learn for hundreds of years.
Under your leadership we hope to remain many steps ahead of any aggression.
Your people need to start thinking for yourselves.
Look, I’m not going to be there for you anymore.
You need to take control of your lives.
Make your own decisions.
And there can be no future without peace.
- I agree.
- Good.
And as soon as the people of Hallona either concede or get out of our way peace will be restored.
What you told me before.
I do realize how monumental our progress has been and I refuse to let Baden destroy that.
« Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds.
» Those are the words of the Oracle.
Your words.
Einstein’s, actually, but- If we yield one bit to Hallona it will be equal to taking a giant step back in our development.
I owe it to my people to make sure that does not happen.
Hm.
They’re digging further.
Every hour, they intrude deeper into our land.
To get them to stop, you have to provide an incentive.
Like attacking the mine? That’Il cause a whole other set of problems.
The only problems will be for the people of Geldar.
Not necessarily.
They can fight back.
What are you saying? We should capitulate? - Let them do whatever they want? - No, you make a deal, trade.
Say you decide to share some of your weaponry.
They, in turn, give you some of their technology.
John? - Go ahead.
- How’s it going? - Well, you know, he’s being a little- - Stubborn? I was gonna use a different word.
I’d like you to come to my office, we need to talk.
- They’re not open to any kind of deal? - Not yet.
We should stick them in a room.
Force them to come to an agreement.
Don’t worry.
They’Il work it out.
We happened to catch them at a bad time.
Sheppard’s guy has been doing a lot of aggressive posturing of late.
The only aggression is coming from the people of Gelding.
- Geldar.
- Whatever.
His people are digging a mine across the border into Hallona.
The coal resources straddle the border between my country and his.
They go three miles into my country, which your people are tunneling in to.
It has been a point of contention between us, okay? It is a difference in cartographic interpretation.
Tomato, tomato.
No, no, it’s pretty clear-cut.
- You entered illegally into my country.
- Gentlemen.
McKAY: You gave me no choice.
- You refuse to negotiate.
- Give in.
What do you care? It’s not like your people use coal.
Right.
You need it to power your steam engines.
Stop it.
These are not your lands.
This game is over, so you’d better set aside your differences because if the two of you can’t figure out how to forge a truce how the hell are these people going to? Rodney? - What? - You’d better come to the game room.
What happened? We’ve just received a data stream from the planet.
Colonel Sheppard’s army has launched an attack.
Don’t look at me.
I didn’t order it.
Oh, they’re going after the mine.
Well, looks like your war just started.
Who ordered this? I did.
He entered the command on your game console.
I know it’s something you would have told me to do.
I ordered you to make peace with these people.
- This attack will not go unpunished.
No one is doing any punishing.
There’Il be no further escalation to this conflict.
There’s no casualties reported.
The mine was surrendered without a fight.
I told my army to minimize collateral damage.
You need to get back.
Take Ronon and Teyla with you.
Go to your respective countries and make sure this does not get any further out of hand.
No one has been hurt yet.
Let’s keep it that way.
- We were beginning to worry.
- What’s the status? I’ve ordered three army units.
They’re on their way.
- Oh, no.
You need to put a stop to that.
- Why? We just need to step back and re-assess the situation here.
We should be easing tensions, not inflaming them.
Oh, no.
- They’re continuing to advance.
- What? Divert the units.
Have them gather in the village.
Prepare to defend.
- Isn’t this what you should be stopping? - Yes.
You cannot engage them.
We must protect our people.
But give Sheppard some time.
He’Il call off the army.
Will he? McKAY: Sheppard, come in.
- Go ahead.
- Are you watching what’s going on here? - We just got here.
Pretty much the same setup as yours.
We don’t have electricity but I’m not gonna get into that right now.
- Your army is still on the march.
- What? They’re headed for one of my villages.
Call them off- The attack has begun.
Looks like your guys are giving up.
What? No, no, no.
That can’t be right.
- That was fast, Rodney.
McKAY: They’ve retreated without a fight.
What kind of army is that? - Well, at least there’s no casualties.
- It’s all right.
I have another plan.
What other plan? Why are you asking me? What are you doing? - Preparing our counterattack.
- What? From information you gave about high temperature and materials technology I have constructed a tactical explosive device.
What? A bomb? You actually built a bomb? I told you we’d be several steps ahead.
- How come I didn’t know? We’ve yet to test it.
- It still appears to not exist.
- We’Il target one of Hallona’s villages.
How are you gonna deliver it? - The catapult couldn’t reach that far.
- I will deliver it.
Using one of the airships you taught us to build.
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
Come back.
You taught them how to build a bomb? No.
Not specifically.
Look, maybe I provided them a list of ingredients, but- - I don’t believe this.
- How much damage can it cause? Enough to take out a village.
- You must tell them to stop.
- I tried.
It’s already on the way.
How are they delivering it? Dirigible.
- You just had to cheat, didn’t you? - I did not cheat.
Nowhere in the rules did it outlaw the development of flying machines.
Only the degree and speed of technological advancement.
They advanced pretty fast, didn’t they? Do we have time to shoot it down? Yes.
Yes, I think so.
Then we better get moving.
Absurd.
What are you talking about? - It’s a perfectly reasonable request.
Perfectly reasonable.
I give you my food, and my people starve.
I am not asking you for all your food.
Plus, I did say that we would make a deal.
A deal? Oh, yeah, baskets.
Big baskets.
Two dozen of them, hand-woven, and very nice.
Very nice? What am I gonna put in them? Certainly not food.
You know what? You’re holding out on me.
You have plenty of food.
- Are you’re calling me a liar? - You’re trying to squeeze me.
- I have got nothing to hide.
- Now, if you- I’Il send my army.
We’Il have a look.
What the hell are you doing? I thought I gave specific orders to stay away from this device.
Yes.
Yes, you did.
We saw there were people in trouble and we thought maybe that we could- - Help.
- No.
No more help.
Clearly, we are not qualified.
Turn this off, disconnect the power and seal the room.
- Yeah, but okay, we- - Now.
Yes, ma’am.
I hoped you’d be proud of our accomplishments.
I am, really, I just- I wish it didn’t lead to this.
What’s that? There it is.
Good.
Now all you have to do is puncture the balloon.
I’m already on it.
Colonel Sheppard.
He shot down our airship with the Puddle Jumper.
- Don’t worry.
No one was hurt.
- Just- he punctured it.
It sank harmlessly to the ground.
- Prepare the other bombs for delivery.
- Other bombs? What, you have more? Great.
Thank you for your help.
You saved the lives of everyone in the village.
We won’t be doing that again.
I had no idea they were capable of delivering such a device.
Tell me about it.
I’ve issued orders to make certain they don’t try again.
What kind of orders? A full-scale attack has been launched.
It’s time to finish this war.
I’ve seen this before.
If two sides are set on fighting nothing’s gonna stop them.
- I gotta get Nola to call off the attack.
- You couldn’t do it before.
How about a little encouragement? « Go get them, Rodney.
I have faith in you.
» Whatever.
I am not giving up on these people.
Which means until we get them to call this war off, then we are staying here.
- I need your help.
Come on.
- What the hell’s going on? Élizabeth diverted the Daedalus on its way back to Earth to check on us.
Caldwell believed the situation had deteriorated.
He feared we would become casualties so he beamed us out.
But I talked him into beaming us back but we gotta do something.
Come on.
- Do what? - I got a plan.
- What plan? Oh, come on already.
How’s the situation on your end? All-out of war.
You? Where did you go? What happened? Nowhere.
No, we were just upstairs.
Someone said you vanished.
What? It’s ridiculous.
How could we vanish? The airships have passed the forest.
They’re nearing the target.
Let’s hope we strike before Baden’s army reaches our village.
- We’Il destroy their will to fight.
- Okay, listen to me.
For two years, I’ve been the Oracle to your people.
I’ve given you much wisdom and guidance and bestowed much of my knowledge.
- Look, it’s like you said, I was a god.
- Easy.
And, yes.
Yes, I may just be a man, but that wisdom still remains.
Now, more than ever, you need to heed my guidance and call back those ships.
You told me it was time to start thinking on my own.
Right.
So now I am.
My people are looking to me.
This is my decision and we will be victorious.
Why won’t you help us? I’m not shooting down any more ships.
We’re done helping you wage this war.
- Then we’Il shoot them down ourselves.
- How? Our weapons are not as primitive as Nola believes.
- Many people will die on both sides.
- If you want to leave, then leave.
We’Il continue this fight even if you’ve lost the will.
- You’re making a mistake.
- The mistake was not doing this sooner.
You’Il see.
This is the right path for my people.
They’ve reached our villages.
- Two have already fallen.
Airships are almost in position.
We should- - What happened? - They shot down one of your ships.
- It wasn’t the Puddle Jumper.
- Maybe one of the catapults hit it.
No, impossible.
Two more villages have fallen.
It appears many are dead.
Sheppard.
Come in.
Sheppard.
Radio’s dead.
They’re coming here.
They have bombs too? - We need to get your people out of here.
- Help them.
- Their army has surrounded us.
Road out of the village is blocked.
- People are slaughtered as they leave.
- We’re trapped.
What shall we do? It’s over.
Rodney, where the hell are you? Hundreds have died.
How can you stand by and let this happen? - Nola’s army has surrounded the village.
- Get to the Jumper.
They just destroyed it.
We’re being overwhelmed.
What should we do? Game over.
Rodney, are you there? Yeah, we hear you.
I’Il give you a call when we’re ready to be picked up.
Got it.
I don’t understand.
What’s going on? What you just witnessed is what I would call another level to the game.
See, we were beamed up earlier to our ship.
The Daedalus, in orbit over your planet.
While we were there, I had Dr.
McKay hack into the two devices.
Upload doomsday scenarios for your countries into the game.
Everything you saw just now was transmitted from the Daedalus.
You mean none of this was real? No.
No one was hurt.
No one was killed.
All just part of the simulation.
In reality your two armies are standing down, awaiting further instructions.
But we heard explosions.
We felt them.
Thanks to some pinpoint shots from our friends in the Daedalus.
Really added to the realism, didn’t it? I’m sorry that we had to do that but you needed to see how this could end.
Feel what a real war is like.
You still think it was the right path for your people? Thanks, Melanie.
Gentlemen.
How’s it going? It’s still going.
We’re just taking a break.
There’s a lot of animosity to be unraveled but I think they are finally willing to try to make it work.
It’s about time.
Yeah.
And you two? Called a truce yet? Yeah, sure, we’re good.
We’re gonna stick to chess from now on.
- As long as Rodney doesn’t cheat.
- Please, like I need to cheat.
Okay, I’Il leave you to it then.
Ha.
Ha.
Checkmate.
- What? Oh, no.
What happened there? - What happened is I kicked your ass.
No, no, I was distracted.
She was- Okay, we’re going again.
Best of 10.