Stargate: Continuum (2008)

[bunniefuu]

Welcome back, SG-9. Stay in the gate room.

General Landry will be down for a short debrief.

So, after 10 years and about 1,000 e-mail requests, I finally get my own parking spot.

Two days after...

Sir.

Major Davis. Morning.

Good morning, Colonels. Major.

Dial it up, Chief. They're right on schedule.

What am I signing this time? Nothing, sir, just wanted your autograph.

Chevron one encoded.

Sure you don't want to come along, sir? Might never be another one of these.

Tempting as it is, I'll be doing paperwork the whole time you're gone.

Besides, one general looking over your shoulders is plenty.

Yes, speaking of Jack...

He went ahead with SG-3 to officially hand over the prisoner.

Well, I guess he knows who we're dealing with.

Such precautions are unnecessary.

Half of the free Jaffa fleet stands guard over the Tok'ra homeworld to ensure that the execution of Ba'al takes place as planned.

You know better than anyone, muscles, this is an extraction, not an execution.

Chevron three encoded.

Oh, well, this is just in case.

No. No, no. Airman, you're not walking into my first extraction ceremony carrying that thing.

Whoa, wait a minute. This is your first? Yeah, it should be interesting.

It'll blow your mind. It is pretty incredible.

Well, witnessing a Goa'uld being extracted from a host is one thing.

Actually experiencing it is something else.

Chevron five encoded.

To feel the sensation of the symbiote that has controlled your every action for so many years, while you watched helplessly from the darkest recess of your mind, as it is finally excised from your body and left to writhe in the light of day...

Chevron six encoded.

Well, that is incredible.

Chevron seven locked!

Go to it, SG-1. Okay, this I gotta see.

I'll leave the light on.

Never in the history of boredom has anyone been more bored than I am right now.

Come on, sir, it's only been... Whoa. It's almost over.

The crimes they're listing are starting to sound familiar.

Crimes?

That's what they've been crooning about for the last three hours?

Quite the ditty, ain't it?

It's not at all fair to the host, anyway.

Vala, you don't really think there's any hope for the...

I mean, you were host to Qetesh for a relatively short period of time.

Ba'al's been inhabiting this guy for over 2,000 years.

Revive the prisoner.

Watch him try and make a run for it. Well, with all this security, I really don't think he's going to get very far.

Vala?

The prisoner will step forward.

Ba'al, last of the Goa'uld System Lords, m*rder*r of untold millions, these will be your last words.

Speak.

I have nothing to say to the Tok'ra.

SG-1 and General Jack O'Neill.

Well, well.

How's tricks, B? I've been better, I'm afraid. And you?

Not so bad, actually. Quite good. How nice for you.

How about those last words? As you wish.

Teal'c...

I will always regret that you never became my First Prime.

And where is my dear Qetesh? Well, Vala was here.

Interesting. Oh, she's probably gone to the bathroom, for heaven's sake. I'm next in line, by the way.

Can we get on with this? There is one more thing.

You've all made a terrible mistake.

Yes, that is what they all say. There can be no doubt of your crimes.

What I mean to say is, I'm not the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, though I do admit, I may be last of the clones.

There were so many of us. It is difficult to be certain.

Mitchell?

We tracked them all, sir. This one is the last one.

You sure?

That is, after all, why we've come, why we had to endure all that singing.

Get rid of the last bad guy, and then there's cake.

Carter?

Well, as you know, in order to track his clones, Ba'al gave each of them a tracking device detectable from anywhere in the galaxy.

Now, he also placed one in himself, so we wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a clone and the original.

And because he was the original, he was the only one of us who possessed a tracking device that could be removed.

So, you see, the last of the Goa'uld System Lords, the last of my dear brothers is still out there, and since as of this moment he knows he's the last, he has very special plans for you. "Plans," you say.

A recently completed failsafe device should an unfortunate circumstance, such as my imminent death, arise.

It was you who gave us the idea, actually.

I suspect it has already been put into action.

He lies.

He does that, you know.

We shall see.

It is time.

This is going to be cool.

Make your course three-five-zero.

Three-five-zero. Aye, Captain.

We'd be in Boston by now if we weren't zigzagging all over the bloody Atlantic.

You'd rather make it easy for the U-boats?

We're not at w*r yet.

Besides, we're riding too high in the water for a U-boat captain to waste a torpedo.

Check to see the cargo's secure.

You're never going to tell me what it is, are you?

If I knew myself...

That's no torpedo.

What is it, Captain?

Emergency stations! All hands!

Maintain your heading, son. Aye, sir.

I'm gonna check for damage.

Secure the ship. Make ready the Chappa'ai.

Take your time, Jaffa.

We have all the time in the world.

Begin the extraction process.

Seriously, did anybody see where Vala went?

Maybe extractions bring up too many bad memories.

Hey, have you ever tried to find a bathroom in a pyramid?

She cannot have gone far, O'Neill. There are...

Carter? I don't know, sir. He wasn't beamed out.

It's like he was there one second, and... The next he was gone, just like Vala.

I think we'd better get the hell out of here.

Everyone, remain calm!

What have you done with my people?

Sir!

Jack.

Go to the gate.

Not without you. Go.

All right, you heard the man. Let's go.

Carter!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

The vessel is secure, my lord.

Dial the Chappa'ai.

Jackson!

Move!

Okay, not Earth.

I dialed Earth. Yeah, I know, like I've seen you do a hundred times before, but my keen professional eye is seeing a few differences between this place and Stargate Command.

That, for one, and... The stargate is in a box.

Carter, what's going on?

Sam?

I don't know.

Look, I know what happened back there, but we need you in the here and now.

Wherever or whenever that is.

Right. Right.

Okay.

Looks like the active gate warmed things up for a bit.

Warmed things up?

Yeah, because the temperature's falling again.

It's just gone past minus 20.

Okay, that's chilly. Let's not just stand around.

I don't see anything that could be a DHD.

This has to be connected to what was happening on the Tok'ra homeworld.

All right, so Vala and Teal'c disappear into thin air, we gate into somebody's freezer, put the pieces of that puzzle together, and...

I got nothing. You?

Well, there is almost no EM of any kind from any direction to help us determine our location.

Mayday. Mayday.

This is Colonel Cameron Mitchell. Do you hear me? Please respond.

Mayday. Mayday.

I don't think anybody's going to hear you.

We're in the cargo hold of a ship. What?

Not just any ship.

This is the Achilles. That name's familiar.

Yeah, because it was the ship that brought the stargate from Africa to America before the outbreak of World w*r ll.

No, that's not why.

See, at the time, they thought the stargate might be a w*apon of some kind, so they wanted to keep it out of the hands of the Nazis.

Do you realize what this means?

Guys, I hate to interrupt, but the temperature's falling.

We just passed minus 40.

Celsius or Fahrenheit? At that temperature, they're the same.

Really? Didn't know that.

We've got about three minutes before frostbite sets in.

Hypothermia, five minutes after that.

I'm already starting to lose the feeling in my fingers.

All right, break out the camp stove from the emergency pack.

Oh, you mean the one that was with Teal'c?

We can't light a fire in here. There's nowhere to vent the smoke.

Cover your ears.

You realize that's not going to do much.

I'm not done yet.

If you don't blow a hole in the ice with that, the entire blast is going to come flying back into this compartment.

Or worse, what if that ice is holding back seawater?

Yeah, I admit, there's a few problems with this idea.

Carter, how cold is it?

Uh...

Minus 43.

Fire in the hole.

Well, it's warmer.

Yeah, I'm seeing stars. Let's get this fire started.

What was that?

Okay, the expl*si*n must've dislodged the ship from the ice.

Don't tell me. We're sinking.

Well, we had to leave sooner or later! Foul-weather gear.

There's got to be some around here somewhere.

Hey, we've got water coming in over here!

Hey, I've got something!

Jackson, try this on for size!

Carter!

Hey, we've got to go!

Jackson!

Jackson!

The ship was warmer.

You want to go back? No, I'm good.

All right. So, which way?

Well, we're above the Arctic Circle, so does it really matter?

South it is. Daniel!

I know.

Back on the ship, my foot went through the deck where water was coming in.

It froze the laces on my boots. I couldn't get it off.

Jackson, what did you want to go and do that for?

Look, we'll just have to help you walk.

No, I can't feel a thing below my knee.

I don't think I'm going anywhere.

Look, I'm being selfish, here.

Our only chance is for you guys to get within radio range of some kind of help.

The sooner you go, the sooner you can send help back for me.

Go, don't waste time!

Once that sun rises, it's going to warm right up.

Jackson.

Daniel.

Bye.

Oh, sh*t!

I keep wondering what Daniel was going to say.

When? Back at the ship, he got all excited when he said, "Do you realize what this means?"

Well, obviously, that Ba'al had gone back in time and stopped the ship that was carrying the stargate from ever reaching the United States.

By sending it to the North Pole. Yeah, apparently.

Carter, that is a terrible plan.

Yeah, but you have no problem with the fact that he went back in time?

All I'm saying is, why not just sink the damn boat?

I think the bigger point here is that Ba'al has rewritten history.

Teal'c and Vala just disappeared because they never joined SG-1.

The stargate program never happened.

In which case, I would have never crashed in my F-302, which means I wouldn't have a titanium pin in my leg, k*lling me, which it is, right now. You're right.

You're right, it's a paradox. Thank you.

Or maybe because we were in transit through the stargate when the timeline shifted.

Well, Ba'al never would've intended that gate to wind up anywhere but the bottom of the ocean. Something went wrong, and we were not supposed to make it back to Earth alive.

That's his first mistake.

Maybe he's already taken over the entire planet.

I mean, humanity could be enslaved, for all we know.

That's quitter talk. All we got to do is stay alive until you figure a way to undo this.

Undo this? You heard me.

Mayday. Mayday!

This is Colonel Cameron Mitchell. Mayday!

Mayday!

Sam, we have to keep moving.

Why?

If we're going to freeze to death, here's as good a spot as any, isn't it?

Uh...

I don't like this spot.

Cam, come on. What is the point? There's no one around for hundreds of...

What is that?

Hey!

Which one of you is Mitchell? That'd be me.

Jack O'Neill, Special Forces. Oh, my God!

We thought you were dead.

Well, back at you, ma'am.

Do you recognize her? Sure do.

Sir, we've got to go back for Daniel.

What we have to do is get you people off this ice.

Major Wood! Yes, sir!

I marked the "X" and dropped the buoy. It should be along any minute, sir.

Mitchell, I don't know what you're doing in the Arctic with a dead astronaut, but I'm going to need some answers.

Yeah, well, back at you.

What are we looking for?

There! Your ride!

Colonel O'Neill!

Permission to come aboard! Permission granted, sir.

The C.O. would like you to make it snappy.

Sonar picked up a Russian sub nosing around.

Let's go.

Down scope. Aye, sir.

Colonel, welcome aboard the Alexandria. Captain, thanks for the ride.

We're always happy to help the Air Force.

Chief of the boat, escort our guests to the ward room.

Escort our guests to the ward room. Aye, Captain.

Colonel, isn't that... if it isn't, it's her twin sister.

I'm going to need a couple minutes to debrief those two.

You mean those three.

What?

Officer of the deck, prepare to stationary dive.

I intend to take her down immediately. Prepare to stationary dive. Aye, Captain.

Stationary dive, stationary dive.

Jackson! Hey!

Daniel. Hi!

I didn't think you guys were going to make it.

Us? What about you?

Oh, no, the sub actually came up about a half hour after you guys left.

It must have heard the Achilles going down.

Scared the hell out of me, too. I thought I was hallucinating.

In fact, I still am afraid I might be.

See, they pumped me up with something, and...

No, it's...

It's all real. Oh.

How bad is the leg? Oh, they say I'm probably going to lose it.

Hey, you know, I thought I was dead.

I guess in the grand scheme of things, I can't really complain that much.

Excuse us.

Jack?

Are there any more of you I should know about?

No. Look, I understand how weird this is...

About four hours ago, one of our satellites took the damnedest picture you ever did see.

How did you get here so fast?

I was already on my way up here to supervise a training exercise on the ice, and then I got orders to make a drop to determine what caused this.

Whatever that was is gone.

And you have no idea what this is? You're the astronaut, you tell me.

The device that made what you see in this picture, an energy vortex created prior to the establishment of a stable wormhole, is called a stargate.

Now, normally, we use it to travel to other planets, but this time we came through it from an alternate timeline, one where, amongst other things, I'm not an astronaut.

Yeah, that's pretty much how I had it figured.

Actually, she's telling the truth.

And who are you?

Daniel Jackson.

In the timeline where we come from, we've actually traveled to several hundred planets together.

"We," as in you and... Yeah, in fact, in our timeline, I'm the closest thing you have to a best friend.

Yeah. Yeah, I'd buy that.

Okay, you're from Minnesota. Yeah.

Eleven years ago, your son accidentally sh*t himself with a loaded 9mm he found in your closet...

All right. Stop it, right there. My kid is fine.

He's at home, and he's fine! What the hell's wrong with you?

Obviously, some things are different in this timeline, but what you have to understand is... No, I don't!

I don't have to understand anything! More importantly, I don't want to.

As far as I'm concerned, you people are nothing but a pile of paperwork waiting to happen.

Jack, please... And stop that!

Jeez.

You should at least warn your superiors that this planet is in great danger.

I'll get right on that.

All right, they can have access to food, water, and any medical attention they might need, but they cannot go past this door except to use the head.

And nobody comes in or out until we can surface, and deal with these freaks. Aye, sir.

Samantha Carter? Yes.

It's common knowledge that four years ago a computer failure forced the space shuttle Intrepid's main engines to shut down before it could reach a safe orbit or a secondary landing site.

When the autopilot also failed, Mission Commander Samantha Carter stayed behind to fly it, while her crew bailed out of the escape hatch.

The orbiter went down over the Atlantic, and her body was never recovered.

It wasn't me. You just said your name...

I was recruited into the Stargate... Stargate Command is a branch... not NASA. of the United States Air Force.

Founded in 1990-something, I forget the exact year, for the purposes of exploration and...

Actually, it was less an altered timeline than it was this kind of multiverse thing... it operates in secret from a facility...

I know what you're thinking, and... So we had the stargate powered... you're thinking I'm insane. and it was capable of operating, but none of the random addresses we tried...

A list? You want the whole list of every planet... and that's when I realized And so... that the symbols were actually constellations, and it was just a matter of determining... Okay. Earth.

Which of the 39 symbols... You never forget your first.

Represented the point of origin. And we discovered that the symbols in a combination of seven represented a gate address... known as Kassa, it's kind of like space corn, but, you know, that is a story you are going to want to hear sometime.

Why do you think this is funny? It was just a matter of figuring out...

Everything I can think of, I have told you. Because it is funny, and you need to learn that things can be both funny and true.

Whereas I've been trying to tell you Earth is in serious danger, you don't seem to give a rat's ass! Seriously, who would make this sh*t up?

Okay, fine! You say O'Neill wants nothing to do with us? What about Landry?

If you would like to hear the answer to that question, why don't you go ahead I know him... and play your tape back? Oh, my God, for the umpteenth time... I'm gonna take a break.

I want to talk to somebody else.

I am agitated, because this is not the way things are supposed to be.

Unfortunately, Colonel, it's the way it is. General, thank you for coming.

You flew F-4s in Vietnam. You have a daughter named Caroline.

You're wild about Fulvous Whistling-Ducks.

Stop right there, son. I believe you.

You do?

I've been listening to all three of you for quite a while now.

It's a hell of a story. The fact is...

Are the other two already in the hangar? Good, we'll be right there.

I can't stand having to repeat myself. Follow me.

Yeah, see, I knew that about him, too.

Hey, you guys. Having fun? Oh, joy.

You've been at this for five straight days. Eat something.

It's not like you didn't feed us.

Fine, I don't like to eat alone. You should know that.

Sir, you're probably wondering why I requested that you be brought all this way up to meet with us.

Actually, you all did.

Something about the fact that I'm the sort of man who would understand.

You'll have to forgive me. I was at your memorial service on the front lawn of the White House.

I imagine you're an extraordinary person in whatever timeline you happen to be in.

Sir, if you don't mind my asking... You don't exist.

That is to say, there's no record of a Colonel Cameron Mitchell fitting your description currently in the U.S. Air Force, or anywhere else, for that matter.

And you, Dr. Jackson, were last seen in Egypt, attempting to find proof that aliens once visited Earth and that the pyramids are landing pads for their spaceships.

I take it that in your timeline, that you're not a discredited whack-job living on the fringes of society. That really depends on who you ask.

General, not that I need to make this all about me...

There was one Mitchell of note who served in the Merchant Marine in the late '30s.

The captain of the ocean freighter Achilles. That's how I know the name.

Grandma had a picture of him standing beside his ship in Boston Harbor.

It's the one in my locker right now.

Ba'al must've k*lled the crew when he gated aboard.

Wow.

You're literally a grandfather paradox.

That's what Dr. Lee said.

Sir, I realize that it may be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to recover the stargate from the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, but there is another one... The one in Antarctica, you mean?

I'm told we're sending a team to check it out.

We need to do more than check it out, sir. We need to use it.

We have to set things right.

How, exactly? I've been thinking about this.

Now, Ba'al must have built some sort of temporal device.

Time machine. Yes.

Now, if we could use the stargate to contact one of our allies, then we...

That will not be allowed to happen.

Sir, I don't think you understand exactly what will be lost if we're not allowed to return things to the way they're supposed to be.

"Supposed to be" is relative, Dr. Jackson.

The allies we've met, the technologies we've acquired, the hundreds of planets we've visited...

We can do all that, assuming we can recover the stargate in Antarctica, and assuming it does what you say it does.

I'm sure we'll use the thing to go out and explore the galaxy.

There are a lot of excited people around here.

With respect, sir, you're missing the point.

The timeline was altered by one of our enemies.

The System Lord, Ba'al. You talked about him at some length.

Because he's a very real thr*at.

According to your own story, it's been 70 years since the timeline was changed.

If all this is part of some plan, where is he?

Man has a point.

Okay, if his plan was to take over Earth, he would first have to reestablish a power base with the other System Lords.

Now, that wouldn't be easy.

Now, if his plan d*ed with him, then...

Or he's still in the process of establishing his power, and it's just a matter of time.

This is as far as we're willing to go.

In exchange for signing a non-disclosure agreement, you'll be given identities, a place to live in different parts of the country, for obvious reasons.

And you better behave yourself in public, otherwise you'll end up on the front page of The Enquirer.

Sir, please don't do this.

The decision has been made at the highest level.

I'm sure that, in time, your advice will be welcome.

If and when the Navy gets this stargate up and running, you can come aboard as consultants, but you will never, ever, be allowed to step through that thing.

You're afraid we're going to try and repair the timeline.

Oh, you've made that intention abundantly clear...

Because we have a responsibility. But you don't have the right!

If you were to succeed, events in the lives of thousands, if not millions of people, would never have happened!

My goodness, people, the arrogance of what you're asking us to help you do is mind-boggling!

Maybe if I wasn't woken in the middle of the night and flown to Alaska, I might be more like the kind, sympathetic former general you were hoping I'd be, but trust me, if you lived in this timeline...

We'd want it to stay the way it is.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go back to my wife and my very pleasant retirement.

And you all have new lives to begin.

They're ready to board the aircraft!

It was a pleasure meeting all of you.

Yeah.

It truly was.

At no time are you to make contact by any means with Mr. Jackson or Ms. Carter without prior authorization.

Any such attempt will be seen as a breach of this agreement, and you will be remanded in custody...

You will be provided a suitable home, vehicle, and a living allowance, which may be augmented without penalty should you choose to seek employment in any field other than the following: astrophysics, aerospace, engineering... At no time may you discuss, write, or otherwise communicata the matters and/or events as stated in this agreement with any person other than your authorized contact.

Is that clear, Dr. Jackson?

Dr. Jackson?

Yeah, I'm sorry.

This is the place.

I guess it is.

Do you need help getting out? No, I think I can handle it.

Keep the change.

How's it going, Cam?

Hey, Mrs... Heather. Heather. Caught myself this time.

Finally. Yeah. Yes, ma'am.

So, when do we get to go for a ride?

Well, I'm going to take it for a road-trip test drive, so maybe when I get back.

I'll hold you to that. Come on.

Oh, damn, that's trouble.

Can I help you, son?

Oh... I apologize for the intrusion.

I spent some time here when I was a kid.

What's the name?

Mitchell. Cam Mitchell.

I've lived here over 35 years.

Really? Who was here before that? Hendersons.

Harry and Lorna.

Oh, so you knew Harry?

Yeah.

I was just a boy, but they were nice people.

Look, I know this is weird, but do you mind if I go inside?

I have an image of the place that I can't quite shake.

Well, what the hell, I'm not doing anything.

Come on.

Hello, Dr. Jackson?

Yes, I'm sorry I'm calling so late. I'm calling from the States, and...

Well, I've stayed in that hotel myself a number of times, and I just thought that you might...

Well, because I wanted to tell you something.

That you're right.

About everything, about the pyramids, about what the glyphs said about aliens visiting Earth.

Everything.

It doesn't matter who I am.

Let's just say I'm someone who believes in your work, and you should, too.

No, no, no, I do. I really do. I...

You have to have more faith in yourself, Dr. Jackson.

Hello?

Put me through to your commanding officer.

Tell him it's Colonel Carter. I need to speak to him now.

Mr. Mitchell?

This stunning footage just in from our affiliate station...

Son, you'll want to see this.

Alleged alien craft pursued by an Air Force F-16 illustrates just how close they came to both the White House and several treasured national monuments before climbing out of range of the pursuing fighter.

We're hearing reports of confirmed sightings from all across Europe and Asia as well.

According to White House sources, there has been no communication from these vessels, but neither have they taken overtly hostile action.

The President has called for calm, but we are told our armed forces are on high alert.

Hello?

Sam!

This is so great. I was just thinking about you guys.

I thought by now they'd at least allow us to see each other, but every time I... No, I don't have a TV. Why?

Bring in the prisoner.

Well done, Teal'c.

It is my honor to serve Lord Ba'al.

Yes, it is. But generations from now, they will speak of Master Teal'c of Chulak, First Prime of Ba'al, first leader of the free Jaffa nation.

Shol'va.

Apophis, last of the System Lords to stand against me.

What have you to say to your new sovereign?

May your reign last days and your death, years.

That's actually rather good, isn't it?

Did you plan to say that when you walked in?

Or was it just off the top of your head?

My lord, Cronus hails us.

Clean this up.

Lord Ba'al, the squadron of Al'kesh that you ordered to the Tau'ri have reported.

It is as you promised.

They number in the billions, and they are defenseless.

Excellent.

You may reveal the coordinates to the rest of the fleet.

We shall leave on my order.

As you wish.

There is a god standing here with wet hands.

Teal'c, you may tell your warriors that their dream of freedom is one step closer.

I shall, my lord.

Well? I am in awe of your accomplishment.

You have predicted every move of your enemies and fulfilled every promise to your allies.

Ra, Nirrti, Cronus, Zipacna, all once-powerful System Lords, and now, they all serve you.

They serve us, my queen.

I am truly privileged. I know.

I can't help myself.

There is no nation on this earth that does not share in our resolve to defend our world.

Until we give them something more to talk about, they're going to play this speech to death.

What about the Russians or the Chinese? Are they hearing anything?

There's been no response of any kind from the alien craft, sir.

We've tried every frequency there is.

Why would they come all the way from wherever the hell it is they came from, fly around with a bunch of F-16s on their asses for half a day, and then just sit there?

They're advance scout ships, Mr. President.

You asked that they be brought to the command bunker the moment they arrived, sir.

That's fine, Alex, thank you.

Henry Hayes. Thanks for coming. You were saying, Mr. Mitchell?

The ships in orbit are called Al'kesh.

They serve both as scouts and as ground-support bombers.

And they're nothing compared to what's coming next.

Really?

So, what's coming next? Death.

sl*very.

More sl*very, more death.

Look, if you want to say, "I told you so," go ahead and get it off your chest, but then you can do one of two things. You can help, or you can leave.

Okay, bye! Jackson.

Right, I forgot to say, "I told you so."

Now, are you going to help, or not?

Have you recovered the stargate?

We couldn't locate the one you sent down, but we did manage to find the other one in Antarctica. It's still there.

Why didn't you bring it back?

Well, the Navy suggested, and I agreed, what better place to build a facility and start a testing program in complete secrecy than McMurdo base?

Why weren't we told?

You'd be surprised at some of the stuff we do around here without running it by you.

It isn't operational yet, is it?

Not yet, but we have our best scientists working on it.

How quickly can you get us there?

Don't forget, I'm the one who gave the order to keep you away from that thing.

Erasing the timeline is not an option.

Then why are we here?

When I was first briefed on you three, I thought my Chief of Staff was yanking my chain.

I didn't believe him the second time, either.

Finally, he had to bring in the National Security Adviser to convince me that he wasn't kidding.

On page 2,000-and-something of the brief, one of you, I can't remember which, talks about how I handled a similar invasion in your timeline to the one that might happen here.

Of course, in our case, you had the benefit of an operational Stargate Program for about seven years.

Well, to be fair, it was actually the Ancient weapons platform in Antarctica that saved us.

Exactly.

Shouldn't it still be there? It's under a mile of ice.

The Army Corps of Engineers have been drilling at the coordinates you gave us for the last three months.

We're not there yet, but we're close. Even so, its power source is depleted.

We'd need a fully-charged Zero Point Module.

Taonas.

There's no reason it still shouldn't be there.

We'd have to steal a cargo ship.

Well, it's not like we haven't done that before.

Once we recover the ZPM, we can gate directly back to Earth, because the stargate's already in Antarctica.

We'll just need... Someone with a gene that could operate the chair.

If there's still time, sir, this can work.

That's the SG-1 I read about.

If the control crystal's intact and the power relay's in position, I should be able to dial out the gate in a couple of hours.

General Hammond?

Sir, it's good to see you.

If you say so.

There are four F-15s on the tarmac at Andrews, each carrying minimal armaments and extra fuel tanks.

Once the stargate is operational, you'll be escorted through by a squad of four marines.

That's not negotiable.

To keep us on the mission.

That's not necessary, sir, but we'll take the back-up.

Even if everything goes according to plan, it's going to be a couple of days, at least, till we get back.

What are you going to do if Ba'al shows up before then?

Is there anything we can do, Dr. Jackson?

Well, I wouldn't mention us. Thought of that one.

Good luck.

To all of us, sir.

There it is, my friends.

This little world in the middle of nowhere, lost and forgotten until now.

Thanks to our Lord Ba'al, it is ours to enslave and pillage as we please.

It is an abomination they have been allowed to breed to such numbers.

Their stargate has been buried for centuries, and was subsequently involved in an unfortunate boating accident.

Hence, they have been completely cut off from us.

They know nothing of the Goa'uld.

Nevertheless, they are far too many to control.

We'll just blast them to the brink of extinction.

That will not be necessary.

But it would be enjoyable. I agree.

You are all so stuck in your ways.

If we were to wipe them out by the billions, the survivors would despise us for all eternity.

I know something of these people. I have studied them for some time.

If we give them cause to fight, they will fight to the bitter end, but if we promise them a grand future, if we offer them our loving kindness, then I assure you, my friends, they'll fall for it completely.

As you have done with your Jaffa?

If by that you mean the Jaffa who, with the promise of freedom, managed to defeat the combined armies of the System Lords, yes.

And that promise will be fulfilled.

I'm sure it will.

In fact...

Teal'c. Yes, my lord.

Camulus has kindly offered one half of his domain, Australia, to the free Jaffa nation.

I have said no such... Your generosity brings a god to tears.

Now, let us be clear, my friends.

The lands of the Tau'ri that you receive and the many millions of humans that inhabit them are a gift.

Be grateful, or be silent.

Return to your ships. I shall contact the Tau'ri myself.

Yes, my lord. Yes, my lord.

Teal'c. Yes, my lord.

There is something I want you to search for.

Ships, sir. Dozens of them.

They just popped up out of nowhere a few minutes ago.

Hyperspace.

I read the brief.

What's the status of SG-1?

They should be airborne in a few minutes.

At this time, Mr. President, it's my recommendation we take our forces to DEFCON 2.

Do it.

We should inform SG-1 that they're here. Yes, sir.

Jackson, you may want to strap in back there and get some sleep. Should be a long, boring ride.

Yeah, I hope so.

Colonel Mitchell!

We've just received a message from Washington.

I'm told you'll understand.

"They're here."

What is that?

Something I've kept in stasis a very long time, so that one day I could place this call.

What do you mean he's on the phone?

It came directly through the White House switchboard.

From the spaceship? Ba'al? Lord Ba'al.

His words, not mine.

Yeah, right.

Thank you, Alex. Hello?

Mr. President.

I was beginning to think I wasn't going to get through your gauntlet of minions.

Who is this? Who am I speaking to?

I am Ba'al.

I assume by now you've detected the presence of my fleet in orbit over your planet?

As a matter of fact, we have our eye on you.

Please forgive this primitive means of communication, but if I were to land my ship in your rose garden, or appear as a hologram in your office, what kind of race of beings would you think we are?

I wanted to give you my personal assurance that we come in peace, seeking nothing more than friendship.

Well, we're glad to hear that down here.

Then let me further assuage your concerns by meeting you in person in your Oval Office.

I'm sure something can be arranged soon.

I was thinking this afternoon.

It is the kind of thing I can clear my schedule for.

Excellent. Then perhaps we can get...

Put that down.

Mr. President, I'm afraid I'll have to get back to you later.

He hung up on me.

The edges of the Shikra blade have been honed to the thickness of a single atom.

I must keep my hand very still, for fear that one slip will cut you in half.

Now, tell me, how can you possibly know so much about this world?

I told you, my sweet. You've been studying in secret.

When?

You haven't allowed me to leave your side in 50 years.

Every time you have defeated your enemies, you've been one step ahead, and now you are as familiar with their world as if you have lived among them, and you even have one of their communication devices. How?

For a short time, I confess, I did live among them.

When? Another life, another time.

This world offers many pleasures, Qetesh. Pleasures I intend to share with you.

Not good enough.

My lord, forgive the intrusion.

Think nothing of it, Teal'c.

I have the results of our search of the southernmost continent.

There is a Chappa'ai, as you predicted.

Thank you, Teal'c. You may leave us now.

However, my lord, it is not lodged within a crevasse.

The humans have moved it to a small settlement and taken it inside.

It does not appear to be yet functional. What?

They have also drilled a shaft deep inside the ice elsewhere on the continent.

Impossible.

How could they have known?

Instruct the fleet to bombard both locations from space immediately.

Is that your wish, my lord?

Do it, and report back to me when it's done.

Now, tell me, my sweet.

Is your plan going as well as you expected?

You realize Ba'al is going to figure out where we're headed before we get within 1,000 miles of McMurdo.

He thinks we're dead, remember? Oh, we have him now.

Hail the fleet.

This is Teal'c aboard the Sovereign's flagship.

Lord Ba'al has given the order to destroy targets at the following coordinates near the planet's South Pole.

Assign what vessels you see fit. Fire when ready.

I talked to Ba'al directly, and despite his assurances, I have reasons to distrust him. Very good reasons.

Yuri, I have to tell you about something we're working on in the Antarctic that might help us deal with them.

It involves an artifact we found a couple of months ago...

Mr. President?

Hold on a sec.

George, do you know who I'm talking to? Yes, sir.

A few minutes ago, we lost contact with McMurdo.

The first report was something about brilliant flashes of light in the sky, then explosions all over the compound.

We also lost contact with the drilling site above the Ancient weapons platform at roughly the same time.

We're trying to get satellite pictures to confirm.

So much for afternoon tea in the rose garden.

Yuri, that project in the Antarctic I was telling you about?

It's going backwards.

My lord. Stay back, Teal'c.

My lord, shall I enact your final instructions?

No, you idiot, save me.

Try it, and I will k*ll him. You intend to k*ll him regardless.

No! There must be some arrangement. Actually, my love, he's right.

Jaffa, treason!

Sierra Golf One, we're receiving an encoded message.

Stand by.

Message reads, "McMurdo has been destroyed."

"Return to your previous position and stand by for further instructions."

Understood. So much for that.

Well, what further instructions can there be, other than, "Kiss your ass goodbye"?

Oh, let's pull about turn and find out.

Master Teal'c. I am on a mission for the Sovereign.

We will cloak the ship immediately and await further orders.

Hail Cronus.

My queen.

Our Lord Ba'al has seen the light.

He now wishes to blast the Tau'ri into extinction.

You are most persuasive.

We shall return in three days.

The more of the planet you have destroyed, the more richly you shall be rewarded.

And if you see Teal'c, k*ll him.

As the Sovereign wishes.

Jaffa, set a course for Praxyon and engage the hyperdrive at maximum speed.

Yes, my queen.

This world is not enough.

The Sovereign's flagship is leaving the fleet.

The Sovereign is dead, betrayed by Qetesh.

Our only hope of avenging him is to arrive at the planet Praxyon before she does, and the only way to do that is through a Chappa'ai.

But you yourself ordered it destroyed.

There is another.

Thanks for the top-up, boys.

Sierra Golf leader, we're going to be right back where we started...

Son of a bitch! Carter, break right! Break right!

What city is that?

Washington.

Listen to me, because I don't think either one of us has much time left.

If you have anything, any information that could help...

Yuri, I can't hear you! What?

You've also discovered an artifact?

Where is it located?

We're receiving another encoded message with new flight instructions.

Message reads, "The Russians have the other one."

Hello. "Do what you need to do."

Roger that.

Coordinates received. Stopping for gas. I estimate ETA at 19:30 Zulu.

Let's do what we need to do.

We're on emergency power, sir, and all the elevator shafts have collapsed.

We're not getting out of here anytime soon.

Do we have confirmation that our message got through to SG-1?

Yes, sir.

By now, they're well over the North Atlantic.

That last KC-135 pilot was a bit stingy.

Fuel's going to be close.

I have multiple contacts down range approaching at Mach 3.5.

Gliders? Yeah, that's a good bet.

They're coming through at 80,000 feet.

Sierra Golf escort, we must complete our mission.

Do you understand? Affirmative.

Sierra Golf One and Two, proceed to target. We will engage.

Here they come.

Oh, yeah! Just go ahead and fall asleep back there, Jackson.

It's going to be a long, dull ride!

Yeah, sorry about that. How many on our six?

Too many!

We can't shake them at altitude.

We're going to have to go down to the deck.

Yeah, we're right behind you.

I've got another contact, six bogies, dead ahead, coming right at us.

Sorry, Sam, we're kind of busy right now.

I don't think they're gliders. They're MiGs!

Jackson, get on the radio!

What the hell did you just say?

"We're Americans. Please sh**t the people chasing us!"

We have been expecting you! Good luck!

Yeah, back at you.

I can see the coast.

Sierra, rejoin, we're going to head on down.

Copy that.

This is not encouraging.

Where is everybody?

At home with their families, where I should be.

I need to speak to the lead scientist on this project.

He is not here. None of them have been here for weeks.

Really? We had no idea of purpose of artifact.

We named it Anchor, because it was found on bottom of ocean.

Are there any grown-ups around that we could talk to?

Boys, we need power.

What you see now is emergency batteries.

We lost main power to facility over three hours ago.

Oh, okay, we understand that, but we've come a very, very long way to use this device.

I cannot give you what I do not have.

What was that? It sounds like a ship. Al'kesh?

And it's landing on the roof. Just great.

We must get out of here. Hey, your w*apon.

Hands up. Don't.

Teal'c?

How do you know my name?

I can do better than that. You're from Chulak, your best friend goes by the name of Bra'tac, and you're the First Prime of...

Jackson, whose mark is that?

Ba'al.

What did he promise to win you over?

The freedom of my people.

I'll give him credit for knowing which button to push.

Ba'al is dead. Slain by his queen.

Oh, don't tell us, Qetesh.

Indeed.

Why?

That is none of your concern.

Allow us passage through the Chappa'ai, and your lives may be spared.

Or you tell us what you're up to, and your lives will be spared.

My only concern is my mission.

Which is?

To avenge Ba'al's death. The final task of a First Prime.

Indeed. Well, that sounds great.

We'll help out, right, guys? Sure, why not?

I'm not busy. Let's do it.

I do not require your assistance.

My ship has been detected.

Its shields have been extended to protect this building and the Chappa'ai, but it will not hold for long. What do you say we all get out of here?

We can all die here when that shield fails, or we can go through the gate together and continue this discussion on the other side.

It's up to you.

This device will power the Chappa'ai.

I like that. No hesitation.

Let's go! Go!

Give me a reason I should not k*ll you where you stand.

Because you're a good man.

Because somewhere, deep down, you realize we're supposed to be on the same side.

Because we can offer you the freedom of your people.

Really?

This is Ba'al's failsafe. It has to be.

I think this whole place is his time machine.

Teal'c, you have to understand, in the timeline we just came from, the Goa'uld are defeated and the Jaffa are free.

Now, Ba'al used a machine to go back in time and change all of that.

He made you his First Prime and Qetesh his queen so he could control you.

This is the secret for which Ba'al was m*rder*d.

So that's why you think Qetesh is on her way here?

She wants to use this device for herself.

That cannot be allowed to happen. See? We agree about everything.

Teal'c, if you let us use this device, we can return history to the way it was meant to be.

The Goa'uld will be gone?

My people will be free? You have our word.

Let it be done.

It'll just take me a few minutes to figure out exactly how it works.

That may be all the time we have.

By my reckoning, Qetesh will be here at any moment.

Thank you.

Well, you heard the man.

There must be satellites orbiting every one of these stars.

There's hundreds of them, each sending real-time telemetry back to this computer through subspace.

Exactly how does that add up to a time machine?

They're looking for something specific.

Solar flares. Exactly.

Until now, other than Ancient technology, the only way we know of traveling backward and forward through time is to pass through a wormhole as it intersects the magnetic field of a solar flare.

Now, with enough satellites and enough computing...

Yeah, that's brilliant. Which button do we press?

Yeah, I think it's a little more complicated than that.

Actually, not much.

We just need to choose a time and place sometime before Ba'al can put his plan into motion.

They are here.

Sam.

Well, if you want to go back to the Cretaceous period, we can go right now, otherwise we have to wait for a flare capable of sending us back to a time and place that's a little more useful.

Sam!

I've found one, but you're not going to like it!

Why not? It'll send us back to 1929.

That's 10 years too soon!

Well, it'll have to do, because I'm just about out of...

Once I dial the stargate, we'll have less than 20 seconds to get through!

Dial it up and get your ass down here!

Carter!

Teal'c!

Jaffa!

Teal'c.

You are the most

stubborn Jaffa I have ever known.

Perhaps I shall choose you as my First Prime

after all.

I...

Think not, Qetesh.

I die...

Free.

Make your course three-five-zero.

Three-five-zero. Aye, Captain.

We'd be in Boston by now if we weren't zigzagging all over the bloody Atlantic.

You'd rather make it easy for the U-boats?

We're not at w*r yet.

Check to see the cargo's secure.

You're never going to tell me what it is, are you?

If I knew myself...

Captain.

We're about to be boarded.

Boarded? Get over there.

How? Don't sh**t until I do.

Back up.

Who are you?

You might say I'm a friend of the family.

What happened here?

Well, that could take a while to explain.

Begin the extraction process.

Behold!

The last of the System Lords.

I guess that was worth seeing. What?

That's all you have to say?

Well, you guys made it out like it was this big deal.

I expected something more spectacular. Nope.

That's pretty much the extraction ceremony, right there.

Yup. Right.

So, lunch, anyone?

I'm buying. I'm in.

Actually, sir, I was hoping that we could go over the plans for the new moon base. What moon base?

You know, I think I might stay awhile and help him through this.

Yeah, I thought you might. Have fun. Thanks.

He's in for an interesting afternoon.

Indeed.

What do you think Ba'al was talking about when he said, "You've all made a terrible mistake?"

We shall never know. I know I ain't going to worry about it.

I was just thinking, what if he really wasn't the last one?

He was the last one. As far as we know.

Yeah, as far as we know, but you can't obsess about this stuff.

Yeah, you're probably right. I know I am. Come on, let's go.

When was the last time General O'Neill bought lunch?

Good point.