Stargate: Atlantis s04e10 Episode Script

McKAY: Initiating secondary diagnostics now.
- No variances.
- You sure? - Positive.
- Check again.
Rodney, there's nothing here.
Okay, just get over here and monitor the power readings.
Huh.
No variances.
Hmm.
Are you catching any discrepancies on your end? - Nothing.
- Are you sure? - Rodney.
- Okay, just go back.
Go back, go back, go back.
All right, do we know what the problem is? Yeah.
The gate's not working.
I think we figured that much last week when you broke it.
- I did not break the gate.
- It just happened to stop working around the same time you were screwing around with it.
I wasn't screwing around with it.
I was running a streamlining program, - designed to boost its operating efficiency.
- Yeah, well, good job.
It had nothing to do with why the gate malfunctioned.
But we've been able to eliminate a number of possible reasons, including my streamlining program, and I feel confident that we're making some progress, and that things will be up and running in - What was that? - An unidentified object just struck the city.
- Well, why didn't the sensors pick it up? - I don't know.
It came in so fast.
I'm getting a low-level energy signature.
- What could it be? - Let's find out.
Any injuries? - No, sir.
Thank God it hit the reading library, or someone really could've gotten hurt.
What is it? It's obviously some kind of mobile, self-contained unit.
A drone, possibly a probe, - it's definitely not Wraith design.
- Perhaps it's Lantian.
You know, a de-orbited satellite, or a device on a recall directive.
Yeah, maybe.
It's still emanating the trace energy field.
- Oh, is it dangerous? - No, it's just interesting.
Check that out.
It was damaged on reentry.
So what? Reentry wouldn't have caused that.
Looks like weapons fire.
Maybe it took a hit before it came down.
And yet it came out in one piece.
Tough little bastard.
Colonel, do we know what it is yet? - Looks like a probe of some kind.
- Any idea who sent it? McKay and Zelenka'll figure it out.
In the meantime, who's working on the gate? The gate can wait.
This is more important.
With all due respect, sir, I think they're equally important.
Wouldn't it make more sense to keep Zelenka working on this mystery object, and move McKay back to his gate diagnostics? It's already been over a week now.
Major, not being able to use the gate is an inconvenience.
The possibility that someone may have pinpointed our location is a threat.
The threat gets a priority.
Yes, sir.
This is pointless.
Even though the object survived reentry physically intact, its internal systems are shot.
These are just incomprehensible readings.
By design.
There's no design here, Rodney.
Just meaningless data.
Yeah, but my instincts tell me that's because they're running an advanced masking program to fool us.
- They're good, I'm better.
- Who's "they," Rodney? Just do me a favor.
Relaunch your decrypt sweep.
Humor me.
Fine.
You realize we don't have to stand around here waiting for the results.
It could take hours.
Why don't we go back to the gate? Hang on.
It's working.
I'm getting something.
Don't touch anything! Oh.
Whoa, whoa, what happened? What did you do? Nothing.
I told you not to touch anything! I didn't touch anything.
The diagnostic program must've crashed.
We lost all the data.
- What did you see, Rodney? - Nanite code.
It's the Replicators.
- It's the Replicators.
They found us.
- Are you sure? That drone we recovered contained nanites.
You cannot be certain of that, Rodney.
The program went down before we had a chance to retrieve any significant data.
I know what I saw.
It was nanite code a split second before the system crashed.
- I saw nothing.
- That's because you weren't looking! Our laptops were receiving the same data stream, Rodney.
If there had been anything, I would have seen it.
Well, obviously, you didn't, otherwise we wouldn't be having this Another one! Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne here.
Go ahead, Major.
There's been an explosion in Dr.
McKay's lab.
I suggest you get down here.
What the What happened? Well, either your sandwich exploded, or that mystery drone had a built-in self-destruct protocol.
We must have inadvertently initiated it when we ran our analysis.
Sorry, Doc.
At least you weren't around when it went off.
Lucky us.
Something's not right.
That diagnostic program should never have crashed.
It was perfectly capable of handling any of the data coming from the probe.
And then before I get a chance to get it up and running again, what happens? The probe gets destroyed.
What are you talking about? I don't know.
I just It feels like someone or something is working very hard to get in my way.
And, yes, I know what that sounds like.
Just do me a favor.
Keep an eye open, okay? You think he's imagining it? Maybe he needs a vacation.
I guess you disagree, huh? I don't know.
It just seems like people are acting different lately.
- Different? - I don't know how to explain it.
They just haven't been themselves.
Hmm.
Teyla's noticed it, too.
Well, maybe everyone's getting a little stir-crazy, not being able to get offworld, you know, acting a little weird, getting a little paranoid.
I'm not paranoid.
People have been acting weird lately! You make a compelling argument.
I think you're going to need stitches.
Here.
Sorry.
What happened? Ronon decided to knock some sense into me.
Let me take a look.
You're fine.
No stitches? No.
Not even a Band-Aid.
There's nothing there.
Well, I'm bleeding.
Well, not from any head wound.
It was probably Ronon's blood.
No.
He hit me.
I was bleeding.
- Run a scan on me.
- A scan? If McKay is right and there were nanites in that probe, there's a good chance I got infected.
Huh.
Okay.
Uh, hold still.
No nanites.
You're clean.
- Run a blood test.
- John, if you were infected with nanites Forget the nanites.
Something like this happened to me before.
I got infected with a retrovirus, and I was able to heal right away.
I'm sure that's not the case now since you haven't been exposed Maybe it's a relapse.
I don't know.
- I seriously doubt - Just run a blood test! Okay.
I thought the problem was dealt with.
I destroyed the drone.
And made them suspicious in the process.
So what do you suggest we do? They're still a long way from knowing the truth.
For now, we just need to be careful.
Colonel, I got your test results back.
I'm pleased to tell you you're 100ºº bug free.
No sign of the retrovirus in your system.
What's the matter? I thought you'd be happy.
All that says is my blood's clean.
It doesn't explain the magical head wound.
Maybe it doesn't make sense because you're refusing to consider the only possible explanation for what happened.
You made a mistake.
Ronon wasn't bleeding.
I checked.
Well, maybe the blood was already on the towel, and you mistakenly transferred it to your forehead.
Ronon saw the cut.
He was the one who said I needed stitches.
Unless he was wrong, too.
All right.
I'll run your blood work again, and if I still can't find anything, we'll do a complete physical.
McKAY: Hey.
Hey.
What're you all doing here? What's going on? I'll be right back.
I just remembered that I forgot to unplug something, or plug it in.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! What're you doing? - This may hurt a little.
- No, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! - What is the matter with you? - Here.
I'm gonna need more than that.
I'm gonna need disinfectant, or some Just shut up and hold on a second.
All right.
Let's take a look.
It's gone.
- That's impossible.
How can it - That's the reaction we were hoping for.
If it's any consolation, I can assure you we all underwent the same test.
Test? What test? What the hell is going on here? That's what we'd like to find out.
Rodney, you're not the only one who has noticed the strange behavior of many of the people on this base.
They've been acting unusually withdrawn, even secretive.
Yeah.
I wasn't sure what to make of it.
At first, I was ready to dismiss Zelenka's screwup as just gross incompetence, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought it didn't make sense, even for him.
No, no, there was no accident.
I mean, he crashed that diagnostic system on purpose: I'm assuming what happened with that drone is no accident, either.
But what does any of this have to do with my super-healing abilities? Last night, Ronon clubbed me in the head.
By accident.
Sort of.
I was cut.
I went to the infirmary to have Keller check it out.
By the time I got there, it was completely healed.
Oh, but the last time that happened, it was the It was the retrovirus.
That's what I thought, so I had her run a blood test.
- And? - She says she didn't find anything.
- You think she's lying? - I don't know, but we've got to find out.
I can access the infirmary's database from here.
Yeah.
Okay, I'm in.
Now And Huh.
- What? - There's no record of any blood test.
If she did one, then she didn't enter the results.
She did a full body scan, too.
- There's nothing here.
That's impossible.
The scanner is wired directly into the computer.
Results are recorded automatically.
- Doesn't mean they can't be erased.
- All right, we need to run our own tests.
Till we figure out what's going on, we can't risk trusting anyone outside this room.
We have to get into the infirmary without anyone knowing.
I have an idea.
How's it going, Rodney? McKA Y: I've patched into the life-signs detector, but there's a problem.
What problem? Just I'm not sure.
Just hold on a minute.
- Looks like it's working fine to me.
- Right.
Thank you for your input.
Is the infirmary clear? Hold on.
Rodney! This is bizarre.
I mean, I can't get it to give me a live feed.
It's like it's stuck in a loop.
Well, fix it.
Ha! All right, I got it.
- What the hell? - Oh, now you broke it.
I didn't break it.
It's working fine.
Is the infirmary clear or not? Yeah, the infirmary, the corridors, the surrounding towers.
I mean, according to this, we're the only people on the base.
How is that possible? McKA Y: Offhand, I would say it's not, but right now I am reading four life signs.
Let's keep moving.
We have a problem.
All right.
Let's make this quick.
I've got something.
It's another life sign.
It's the outer edge of the city.
Let's check it out.
Come on.
- Maybe we should - Come on! John.
What the hell? Nanites.
There's supposed to be a room here.
There is a room here.
Wait.
Elizabeth.
Easy, easy.
How did you get here? - I don't know.
I can answer that.
This is where we made her.
This is where we made you all.
This explains why we can heal so rapidly.
We get injured, and the nanites effect repairs.
- We'd better tell the others.
- Yes.
That won't be necessary.
What the hell is going on? I'm sorry, Colonel.
You're going to have to come with us.
I don't think so.
That won't do you any good.
I'm warning you, Major.
Stand down.
Go ahead.
Shoot.
You see? - You're Replicators.
- That's right.
Until you began making changes to our base code, we were forbidden from assuming the form of any living human, but now we can take any form we like.
You couldn't have replaced everyone on the base.
It's impossible.
Only because you believe this is the real Atlantis, and that you're the real Dr.
McKay.
So you're saying that we are also Replicators? No.
You are flesh and blood.
Ordinary humans in every way, except that you were manufactured from the inside out by nanites, some of which remain in your system, effecting repairs as necessary.
I'm not buying it.
All that you are, your thoughts, your memories, everything was taken from the real John Sheppard and his team when their minds were probed over a year ago: See, now I know you're lying, because a year ago, Carson Beckett was our chief of medicine, not Dr.
Keller.
In fact, she hadn't even arrived yet.
This scenario was updated with information obtained from the last member of your expedition to be captured by the Replicators.
Elizabeth Weir.
- You sure about this? - Yeah.
I need to see for myself.
Oh, my God! All right, we're all infected by nanites.
Not infected with.
Constructed by.
- I don't believe it.
- I know it's tough to swallow.
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it myself, - but it would explain a couple of things.
- Such as? Such as why the gate's not working, for one.
Look, if none of this is real, if this is all just a lab-rat experiment, then it stands to reason the gate's not real, either.
If this is not the real Atlantis, Rodney, you of all people would have noticed.
- The stars alone - The whole time the gate's been down, it has been solid overcast.
That's over a week now.
Think about it.
When was the last time any of you saw stars? Dr.
Weir.
That's what you named me.
There's no point in calling you anything else.
You're exactly like her in every way.
Except that I'm not her.
No.
The real Elizabeth Weir was killed several months ago.
Part of her brain had been replaced by nanites.
It was done to save her life, but it made her dangerous.
Whenever she linked with other Replicators, the human part of her exerted an unhealthy influence.
At least that's the way Oberoth saw it.
But you don't agree? Why do you think we did all this? Your humanity is what we're interested in because the Ancients created us with one fatal flaw.
You can't ascend.
That's what you're after, isn't it? All right, I know this is a lot for everyone to deal with, but we're just going to have to suck it up and refocus.
Refocus on what? Getting the hell out of here.
So we can go where? Back to Atlantis to resume our lives? Oh, yeah, I forgot.
They're not ours.
- Says them.
- There's no point in denying the facts.
They were telling the truth.
We're not who we thought we were.
I may not be the original, but you're going to have a hard time convincing me that I'm not pretty damn close.
Our origins do not make us any less human not physically, and certainly not mentally, not while we can think for ourselves.
And in my heart, there is no doubt.
We must return to Atlantis.
Okay.
- We go back, take things from there.
- Great.
We're all in agreement.
We're getting out of here.
Now, all we have to do is figure out how.
- You're part of Niam's group.
- Most were reprogrammed, but some of us managed to stay hidden within the collective.
And you think by studying us, you'll discover the secret ingredient? You are all fully human.
You have the same minds as your original selves, the same thoughts, the same emotions.
More importantly, you have something that's always eluded us.
Something that kept your kind apart from the very beginning, and made you special in the eyes of our creators.
You would call it a soul.
It is that secret ingredient you referred to, the key to Ascension.
That is not something you can learn to acquire simply by studying us.
Why not? A human brain is just an electrochemical machine.
Biologically created, but a machine, nonetheless.
- Everything is quantifiable.
- Now you sound like Oberoth.
The others have given up on Ascension.
They're destroying human populations throughout the galaxy as a tactic in their war with the Wraith.
They're consumed with hatred and revenge.
We believe there's another path.
Why are you telling me all this? You're open-minded, and it's important that we gauge your reactions.
Why? So we can avoid the same mistakes next time.
They're going to wipe our memories, and then start again on another planet.
That probe was sent by Oberoth and the other Replicators.
Our friends out there tried to destroy it, but they only managed to disable it.
If that thing hadn't crashed into the city, who knows how long this could've gone on.
You know, the point is, this position's been compromised.
Once the other Replicators find the city, they'll destroy it.
Oh, yeah, and us, too.
Is that any worse than having our memories erased and starting this whole process again? We've got to find a way out of here.
I'm sorry it's come to this.
Listen to me.
You have probed our minds.
You know everything there is to know about us, so you should know we will never accept this.
No matter how many times you wipe our memories, - we'll always figure it out.
- She's right.
We're genetically predisposed to being stubborn and really pesky.
You want to understand what it means to be human, right? You want to know what qualities might eventually lead to Ascension? You can start with compassion.
I understand what you're saying.
And under different circumstances, I might even agree with you.
Unfortunately, it's too late.
What are you talking about? The other Replicators have found us.
They failed to break down our mental defenses and bring us back into the collective, so now they want to destroy us.
- Well, you have to raise the shield.
- We can't.
Your creation required too much power, and we couldn't get our hands on multiple ZPMs without drawing too much attention.
Let us out.
Your fellow Replicators are targeting human worlds.
They are murdering thousands of innocent people.
If you are serious about following in the footsteps of your creators, you will let us go, so we can stop this.
Oberoth is too powerful.
If this city falls, and we're destroyed with it, this will be nothing more than a wasted opportunity, a failed experiment.
You know what that feels like.
That's what the Ancients considered us.
Failed experiments.
Well, now's your chance to prove them wrong.
All we're asking is that you give us a chance to make a difference.
- Take this.
- What's this? It's the core drive of a ship's tracking system.
With this, you should be able to pinpoint the locations and movements of every one of Oberoth's Aurora- class vessels in this galaxy.
Take this to Atlantis.
It will be their best chance at stopping Oberoth.
Go up to the bay and take a Jumper.
Come with us! I can't.
Oberoth might be able to track me.
I'll only be a liability.
Go! That's it.
The city's gone.
So, now what? Well, we're already cloaked.
All we need to do is follow the ship out into the atmosphere, catch a ride before it jumps into hyperspace.
- Catch a ride? - Yeah.
Watch.
Okay, redeploying drive pods.
Okay.
Nice and snug.
- You doing okay? - Sure, all things considered.
Not bad for a dead woman.
Everything'll be fine.
My guess is we're headed back to the Replicator homeworld.
And once we get there, we can find a ship with a hyperdrive.
And go where? Well, obviously, we can't fly straight back to Atlantis.
They'd probably take us out before we had a chance to explain, but maybe New Athos.
We can contact them once we get there.
And then what? How do you think the real Sheppard is going to react when he sees you? How would you react? Mmm.
In a way, I'm lucky.
At least I know I'm the only Elizabeth Weir out there.
McKAY: You were right.
It's the Replicator homeworld.
Looks like they've been busy.
What do you mean? Remember those shipyards we destroyed? - That's one of them.
- They rebuilt it.
- And then some.
Good.
Then we should be able to find a ship they won't miss.
It's a streamlining program designed to boost its operating efficiency.
Look, the gate will be off-line for what, one, two hours tops.
- We expecting someone? - No, sir.
But it's Major Jordan reporting in from M34-227.
- Do you have video? - Yes, sir.
What's the situation, Major? Well, sir, there's someone here who would like to have a word with you.
Elizabeth.
Hello, John.
Elizabeth! What happened to you? How'd you get away? I'm not Elizabeth.
Well, not the Elizabeth you knew.
I have all of her memories, and all of her thoughts, everything that makes her me.
But I'm a duplicate.
I was created by a faction of the Replicators as a means to attaining Ascension.
You look and sound just like her.
I'm sorry, Rodney, but it's true.
This group managed to isolate themselves from the others in order to pursue their study in secrecy, but they were eventually discovered and destroyed.
I don't know what to say.
This is all very Strange? Yeah, I know.
But we need to meet.
We have some information that you can use against the Replicators.
We? Well, I suppose introductions aren't really necessary.
Great.
The last time I came face to face with myself, I ended up kicking my own ass.
- McKAY 1: Nice jacket.
- Yeah, it's new.
We got new versions of those uniforms.
The old ones used to Bunch up under the arms.
- Yeah.
- Huh.
You said you've got something for us.
Yeah.
McKay.
Hmm? - No.
My McKay.
- Oh.
Yeah.
Right.
- What is that? - This is the core drive of a Replicator ship tracking system.
Once it is up and running, we'll be able to track every Aurora-class Replicator ship in the Pegasus Galaxy.
It's not much, but it's a start.
Are you kidding? This is huge.
We've got to get to work on a Modification program.
Reconfigure the base sequencing Run it through one of the Ancient relays, so that the information is Automatically adapted and outputted.
Outputted? Is that even a word? - Of course it is.
- We can't both be wrong.
Look, we've got to get started on this now.
Whoa, whoa.
Not so fast.
Where are you planning to do this? We're too big of a security risk to be allowed back on Atlantis.
He's got a I've got a point.
You two are going to have to find another way to do that.
That's not a problem.
I'll just go back to Atlantis and get what we need.
- We can do all the work right here.
- Oh, this is great.
Finally, someone in whom I can have how much I'm looking forward to working with you.
McKAY 2: And this is just the beginning.
McKAY 1: Humanity's about to benefit from one of the greatest living scientific minds, times two.
- Can you imagine? - I'm trying not to.
We appreciate all this, but the truth is we came here for another reason.
You were with the Replicators.
What do you know about our Elizabeth? And are you willing to help us get her back? You think this other Keller was telling the truth? I don't know why she'd lie.
It's kind of weird, that's all.
I mean, I don't see you for all this time, and then five minutes later, I find out That I'm dead.
Yeah.
Don't worry.
The moment I learned the truth, I knew there'd be no going back to the way things were.
Not for me, not for any of us.
- I don't like it.
- Yeah.
It's odd.
I know I'm me, so who the hell's this other guy? - He is you as well.
- No, there's only one me.
- Apparently not.
- He's nothing but a copy, then.
From what I understand, even though he is not the original, he's as much Ronon Dex as you are.
I don't like it.
I didn't really believe it.
Not until we got here.
I know.
I was holding out hope as well.
I thought that the Replicators had captured us and implanted the nanites, and that they were lying to us to keep us from wanting to return.
Yeah, well, it worked.
I'm not going back with them.
- Ronon.
- What? I've been on my own before.
At least, that's how I remember it.
And now I've got these nanites that'll heal me if I get injured.
You are not invincible.
The nanites can only do so much.
Yeah, well, I'll take my chances.
I understand your anger, and your disappointment, but it makes no difference who came first.
- You are as much Ronon as he is.
- Oh, yeah? Then why does he get to live my life on Atlantis while I'm treated like an outsider? Our circumstances are different.
You mean we make them feel uncomfortable, so they'd rather not have us around.
Given our origins, they see us as a potential threat.
Can you blame them? I guess not.
I'd probably do the same.
Still, that doesn't change - We'll go back to the camp.
- We'll go find Sheppard and Weir.
It's not like this hasn't happened before.
The other Elizabeth got infected by those little nanite things, and we figured out how to stop them somehow.
Maybe we can do the same for you.
So we wouldn't be a security threat.
You can contribute.
Things will just be different.
That's not really the issue, John.
I guess what really bothers me is just knowing that you and the others will always consider me less than what I really am.
- That's not true.
- Of course it is.
And I don't blame you.
Do you hear something? Colonel Sheppard, this is Teyla.
Please respond.
Go ahead, Teyla.
What's wrong? The Replicators are here.
They managed to track the ship.
John, do you hear me? Oh, yeah, I heard you.
Our ship must have had a hidden subspace transponder.
All right, run.
What was that? - That way! Come on! - Ronon, wait! - Where's McKay? - He's still at the compound.
Rodney, this is Sheppard.
I need you to fall back to the gate immediately.
Colonel, this is Major Jordan.
The gate is a no-go.
I repeat, the gate is a no-go.
There's a Replicator ship in position ready to take us out the second we show ourselves.
I need everybody to fall back to the Jumper.
Rodney, did you hear me? Yeah.
I heard you.
We're on our way.
John, they're guarding the gate.
They have us trapped.
Even cloaked, if the Jumper so much as rustles a bush, they will pinpoint our position and blast us out of the sky.
We need a diversion.
- What happened? - It's the Replicators.
Let's go.
We'll all have a better chance this way.
I don't want you doing this because you feel any less Human? From the beginning, we've been trying to convince ourselves that we're just like you.
Now we've got a chance to prove it.
All right.
Let's go.
Yeah, we tricked you.
But don't feel so bad.
After all, we almost had ourselves convinced.
Shut it down! No one else is coming.
- Shall we take a break? - You go ahead.
Rodney, you've been working for five hours straight.
- You should take a break.
- Yeah, I will.
When I'm finished.
- I know what you're trying to do.
- Yeah? What's that? Lose yourself in your work to avoid thinking about Elizabeth.
You must realize it's only a temporary distraction.
That's one of the perks of the job.
If something terrible happens, you don't have time to dwell on it 'cause you're too busy trying to stop the next terrible thing from happening.
Seriously, if it wasn't for the Replicators and their plan to wipe out every human in the galaxy, I'd be in pretty bad shape right now.
No, this is Carson all over again, and I'm just not ready to deal.
Not yet.
You're not the only one who misses him, Rodney.
- I don't suppose you want to talk about it.
- Eventually, but not now.
Okay.
- Shall I get you anything? - No.
Radek.
Thank you.
You're welcome, Rodney.
- How's it going? - It's all right.
- Why don't you call it a night? - No.
I want to finish this.
What about you? Isn't it past your bedtime? I approve the removal of her personal items tomorrow, have everything shipped back to Earth.
I would have done it sooner, but I actually thought we were going to - Bring her back.
- Yeah.
Me, too.
Let me know when you get this thing working.
Will do.
Oh, wait! Huh.
If this works, we should be able to track every Aurora- class Replicator ship in the galaxy in real time.
That's not so bad.
I guess the Wraith have really taken a toll.
On the other hand, my duplicate did say they were building more.
A lot more.
McKAY: Oh, crap.