09x09 - Prototype

[bunniefuu]

- Sir!

- Colonel! I need you to read this.

Good morning to you too, Colonel.

Sorry Sir.

How are you?

What is it?

It's a report from the Tok'ra.

They've discovered a gravitational disturbance, with their long range sensors.

Another Ori incursion.

Well, it could simply be a yet undiscovered black hole, but the Tok'ra won't have a ship in range for some time.

I've located a planet with a Stargate close to the disturbance.

If you'll permit me to take a Go! SG

-5 should be available.

Thank you Sir.

Unscheduled offworld activation.

Walter?

Receiving an iris code, Sir.

It's Colonel Carter.

That was fast.

Open the iris.

Yes Sir.

Colonel! Tell me you've got good news.

Actually Sir, I think there was a little glitch.

We were on the wrong planet, Sir.

Was the intel wrong?

We don't know Sir.

When we arrived, there was no sign of the MALP.

I checked our telemetry based on known star positions.

We weren't on P3X

-584, Sir.

Somehow, we got sent to a different planet.

Walter?

I'm reviewing Gate diagnostics, Sir.

How could this happen?

If it is a Gate malfunction, it's a pretty big one.

Unlike any we've seen before.

Chief, inform all offworld teams to use the Alpha Site until further notice.

Yes Sir.

If there's something wrong with this Gate, I wanna know what it is before anyone else walks through it.

Yes Sir.

Find the problem.

Until we do, all Gate activity is shut down.

Season 9

- Episode 9 Prototype Run the cross comparison program.

Hey! How's it going?

Well as far as our computer is concerned the dialling sequence to P3X

-584 ran perfectly normal.

Except for the fact you ended up 12,000 light years off course.

Oh, here's something.

Maybe it wasn't our fault.

I thought it was always our fault.

We just ran a program that compares the energy signatures of the last thirty outbound trips, to look for anomalies.

It's kinda like a bump.

A bump?

Actually, more like a series of bumps.

Exactly 8.

5 seconds apart.

Well, that explains everything.

Actually, it might.

Defence mechanism?

Yes, Sir.

I think each of these spikes represents a request by the offworld Gate, for an authorisation code.

If the correct authorisation code is not entered in time, we are prevented from reaching the planet.

That doesn't explain how you an SG

-5 ended up half way across the galaxy.

Well, I have a theory about that too.

Instead of using an iris, like we do, the offworld gate stores incoming data in its buffer system.

Then, if the correct code isn't received, it dials a random address and empties the buffer into the new wormhole.

Interstellar call forwarding.

That's pretty cool! How did the MALP get through to 584?

I mean, initial telemetry confirmed it was on the right planet.

My guess is, the 584 security system filters incoming matter based on certain protocol.

Organic versus inanimate, for instance.

That seems like an awful lot of trouble to keep people out.

Which makes me curious as to what's being hidden there.

Always want what you can't have.

I've calculated it'll take the Prometheus two weeks to reach 584 at maximum speed.

If the Ori are constructing a Supergate, then we may not have that much time.

I will contact the High Council and have a Jaffa ship scout the area.

Can you figure out a way to cr*ck this authorisation code?

Certainly try Sir.

Teal'c.

No offense, but I'd feel better if we investigated this ourselves.

Dismissed! MALP is enroute.

We placed a bacterial culture inside the MALP's cargo compartment.

Hopefully, the organic material will force the 584 Gate to hold the MALP and ask for an authorisation code.

I'm receiving the Gate's authorisation request.

Now we just hope this program works.

What does that mean?

I think it was good.

The MALP is coming online.

Rotate the camera to the left.

It's the first MALP.

It worked.

Good! Alright, let's see what all the fuss is about.

Well, we'll have to wait till nightfall to get a visual confirmation of the black hole.

In the meantime Major, you can set up the gravity sensors.

I'll make sure we can dial home.

SGC, this is SG

-1 leader.

We have arrived safely.

Thank you Colonel.

We'll dial again in 15 minutes.

Prometheus is standing by.

Hopefully that won't be necessary, Sir.

Mitchell out.

I'd rather not wait around two weeks for a ride.

We're gonna have a look around.

I think I found the problem.

You see anything like it before?

Nope.

And I don't wanna remove it until I know exactly how it's connected to the system.

Good news is, it won't affect any outbound dialling.

Colonel Carter! We've got the gravity centers up and running.



- Good! I'll be right there.



- Hey guys, this is Daniel! You might wanna come and check this out first.

I got it.

You check out the black hole.

It's amazing what people leave laying around! Where do those go?

Only one way to find out! I don't think anyone's been home for a while.

This is some kind of science lab.

This looks familiar.

It's Nirrti's DNA Manipulation Device.

Nirrti?

She was the Goa'uld who was trying to create an advanced host, right?

Ended up with a bunch of super freaks who turned on her.

That was a cool file.

This writing is in Ancient Oh, I was wrong.

There is someone home.

Wait! Wait! What?

I was looking for the light switch! New guy! You touched that! I know how to read that! I got a faint pulse.

Carter! Get back to the gate.

Tell the SGC we need a med team here, right away! Well, you're clean! No sign of any exposure to infectious agents.

Great! How's pod man?

Also going to be fine.

I suspect the convulsions were just a reaction to coming out of stasis.

Although, his preliminary test results were quite interesting.

How?

We've been able to study the genetic characteristics of the Ancients, from the database sent back to us from Atlantis.

Our patient X definitely shows some physiological similarities.

You think he's an Ancient?

I'm runnning a more detailed analysis.

There are some more strange anomalies.

But in the meantime, why don't we ask him?

Hello.

I'm Doctor Caroline Lam.

Do you understand me?

Yes.

Good.

Try to relax.

There's nothing to be afraid of.

You're safe.

You're on a planet called Earth.

I'm Lt Col Samantha Carter of the United States Air Force.

Cameron Mitchell.

Ditto on the other stuff! Can you tell us your name?



- It's Khalek.



- Khalek.

We found you on another planet, in stasis.

In what looked like some sort of science lab.

Earth?

Yeah, that's right.

I want to go home.

Home?

Where is home?

They took me.

I was a prisoner.

So long.

He did experiments on me.

He, who?

I never knew his name.

Please.

I just want to go home.

Can you tell us what this guy looks like?

Do you have the Stargate address for the planet you call home?

The symbols to dial?

Yes.

OK.

When you're feeling better, we'll see what we can do.

So, not an Ancient.

Too bad.

Poor guy, this is exactly what Nirrti did, kidnapped people and then experimented on them.

Yeah but, Khalek there said he Well, I'm sure Nirrti wasn't the only Goa'uld with an interest in evolved Human hosts.

That lab looked more Ancient than Goa'uld.

You think it was an Ancient experimenting on him?

I don't know.

But I'm sure Jackson will get to the bottom of it.

In the meantime, we'll get the address to Khalek's homeworld and send a malp.

Hopefully, it'll still be somewhere he wants to go back to.

What's up?

Well, it looks like that our black hole's just a regular old black hole.

No giant Ori Supergate.

That's good.

Teal'c said you could use some help in here.

Yeah, there's something wrong with the power supply.

It's driving me nuts.

We'll look what we can do.

Colonel Mitchell says the man we found in stasis is not an Ancient.

He was being held prisoner and experimented upon.

We do not believe that he knew his captor.

Have you found anything, Daniel Jackson?

Just pages and pages of logs.

Notes about the exper.

What is it?

This is bad.



- Where is he?



- Isolation room 1.



- Under guard?



- Why?

What did you find?

I should have known when I saw the Ancient writing.

He used to use it as code on his ships.



- Dr Jackson.



- The lab does not belong to an Ancient.



- It belonged to Anubis.

But he's long gone now.

Yes, but the man he left behind is not the victim of experiments, he's a genetic hybrid.

He was grown in that lab.

I'm sorry?

Whatever he told you, he's lying.

The Goa'uld pass on genetic memory.

Now he may not have a snake in his head, but the man we defrosted and brought back here, has Goa'uld DNA intermingled with his own.

That makes him, the son of Anubis.

The log entries said Anubis managed to replicate his pre

-ascension DNA, using the genetic manipulation device.

Then, he combined it with Human DNA and was able to rapidly grow our, our friend there.

The analysis I did, suggests that Khalek is significantly more evolved than we are.

Much more in line with the Human form of the Ancients, prior to ascension.

So he could have all kinds of super funky powers?

Well, the subjects Nirrti manipulated, demonstrated telekinetic and psychic abilities.

Like the Priors?

The goal of the experiment seems to have been to create an advanced Human.

With a little Anubis blended in.

You said he used his pre

-ascended DNA.

Do you think he was doing his experiments before he ascended?

No.

See, that timeline doesn't track with the log.

Plus it says he had to reproduce his DNA.

Which means he was doing all this after he ascended and was sent back by the Ancients.

Well, halfway.

But this doesn't make any sense.

Even a highly evolved Human host wouldn't be as advanced as he was.

Why bother?

Maybe he didn't like being stuck in limbo.

Maybe even a small step back to mortality was worth it to him on some level.

Perhaps he was attempting to create an even more powerful servant than the Kull warriors.

No matter what Anubis' ultimate goal was, Khalek is extremely dangerous.



- Options?



- Put him back in his pod.

I doubt we'd be able to get the one from 584 back here.

If we leave him there, others could circumvent the security and find him, as we did.

We could post guards.

What about the Antarctica pod?

Look, I think we need to consider whether we want to preserve him at all! Look, the fact is, we don't know how successful Anubis was.

Khalek is advanced.

Yes, but we don't know how far along he actually is.

Now, if he is aware of his own state of evolutionary advancement and I bet you anything he is, it's possible the only thing keeping him from ascending right now is that he hasn't figured out how.



- What would that take?



- I don't know! But if he can do it.

If, if he knows how or figures out how.

At the very least, we're gonna have another Anubis on our hands and at that point it's going to be too late to stop him.

Well he couldn't progress his state of being while he was in stasis.

Look, you know I would never suggest this lightly.

But he is what he is and given the danger he poses, I think we have to ask ourselves, what is the point in keeping him alive at all.

I hear you, Doctor Jackson.

For the moment, we're taking every security precaution we can.

I'll contact Washington.

Discuss how we're going to proceed.

In the meantime, I suggest all of you learn as much as you can.

Including what Khalek does and doesn't know.

Khalek, can you hear me?

Yes.

My name is Doctor Daniel Jackson.

Why have you restrained me like this?

Why is everyone suddenly acting like they fear me?

Look, you can drop the act.

I don't understand.

Have you contacted my homeworld?

We found you on your homeworld.

I understand Ancient.

Those research notes Anubis left?

We know that you were grown in that lab and you possess Anubis' DNA and his genetic memories.

My memories DO include you, Doctor Jackson.

The confrontation you once had with my father.

I sense it is some time since I was last awake.



- What has become of him?



- I'm not here to answer your questions.

The others, they wish to study me, don't they?

Why else would I still be here, given the danger you know I pose?

They want to learn what I am.

How I came to be.

But you.

Have you ever taken a life, Doctor Jackson?

I believe you have k*lled a man.

My memories are so sharp and clear.

It's as if they happened only moments ago.

The countless lives my father extinguished.

All those that came before him that did the same.

Such pleasure it gave them.

But I have not experienced it myself yet.

Does it really feel that good?

Millions of slaves bowing before me.

A galaxy of desperate, pitiful lifeforms at my feet.

That's clearly intoxicating.

I can almost taste it, as if it was me there and not those whose memories I possess.

But nothing, nothing do I anticipate more than the sweetness I know I will feel, when I'll k*ll for the first time.

I can hardly wait to watch as fear stops a man's heart.

So much more intimate, one on one.

To watch as the blood flows from his veins and savour his ever fading hope for life.

There's only one way to stop it.

I know you wish to take my life and I promise you, before this is over, one of us will feel the pleasure.

Mr Woolsey! Given the timing, this can't be a good sign.

The International Committee overseeing the SGC has read and considered your recommendation to place the prisoner back in stasis.

At least until we can decide what to do with him.

We think that's a mistake.

Oh, you think we should k*ll him.

On the contrary! We think he must be studied.

You understand how dangerous he is.

We understand how dangerous you seem to think he is.

There's very little coroborating evidence at this point.

That's why more study is required.

Is this a joke?

Cos if you look closely, I'm not laughing.

You and your people went before the Senate Appropriations Committee and demanded that the budget for this facility not be cut in half.

Why?

Because of a formidable new enemy that now threatens our galaxy.

What would we do without you?

All we have heard, is that the Ori must be taken more seriously than the Goa'uld.

That the Priors who represent them are extremely powerful and dangerous in their own right.

And yet, in the months since this thr*at emerged, not one proposed counter measure.

Not one shred of technology.

Not even so much as a theory or strategy to fight these missionaries, has resulted from ongoing Stargate operations.

Until now! And you want to freeze him.

Go, go! You're on a roll.

Based on the report, the only thing that we do know about this Khalek, is that physiologically he may be very much like the Priors of the Ori.

An advanced form of Human, far along in evolutionary development.

First and foremost, studying him, may be the key to learning a way to fight the Priors.

Actually, that had not escaped me.

Not to mention the fact that he may be the missing link between ourselves and ascension.

Certainly that merits more research.

The members of the committee feel very strongly about this.

Then neither they nor you understand the risks.

Oh, we do.

The issue is, if this command doesn't have the ability and security in place to take full advantage of an opportunity like this, then we believe we need to reevaluate it's leadership.

And ultimately, its operation.

If Woolsey and the bean counters are gonna force us to keep Khalek conscious, maybe we'd better figure out what he's capable of, and fast.

It was like he was goading me into k*lling him.

Like he wanted us to do it.

He know's he's on the path to ascension.

Maybe he thinks that's the final step.

If that's the case, we may have no other choice but to freeze him again.



- Indeed.

Unfortunately, we must now convince others this is the prudent course of action.

Major Altman seems to think he has something that will help us.

Yeah, this unit, it seems to be self contained.

Well it's what analyses a subject's current physiological status and feeds back into the DNA manipulator.

We should be able to bring it back with us and rig it to give us a better idea of how advanced Khalek really is.

That'd be good.

Nice work.

I'm gonna keep working on the translation.

He's out cold, Colonel.

I gave him enough sedative to keep him out for hours.

Can't be too sure.

That should be good.

We're pretty sure these red patches indicate areas of the brain where synaptic activity is maximised.

A normal Human brain, you or I say, should show roughly five to ten percent coverage.

Me being five, you being ten.

So what's it at now?

Sixty percent?

Sixty

-eight, exactly.

Daniel says the research theorized that eighty, possibly ninety percent activity was required for conscious, willful ascension.

So he's not there yet.



- Well no, but

- Wait a minute.

What's that?

That wasn't there a minute ago.

No.

The percentage just jumped to seventy one.

Are you saying this guy is evolving right before our eyes?



- His heartrate's increasing.



- I wonder if that has something to do with the brain scan device.



- I'm going to administer some more sedative.



- No, no, just a second! Let me just make sure that there's no interference with the lines here.

I sh*t him, twice.

At point blank range.

And he appears to be healing.

Very quickly.

I should have emptied the clip.

I don't get it, Sir.

How can Woolsey not know that keeping this guy around is a bad idea?

He's an ass.

So what?

He's risking a catastrophe, just to embarrass us?

Woolsey's a pretty straight sh**t.

I think he really believes this is gonna be of benefit.

Look, we're the ones who've spent the last eight years justifying enormous risk for the advancements we've made.

Fact is, we are recording some incredible data.

Khalek's healing ability, his advanced brain function.

That scanner was still operating when he was using his telekinetic ability and we've been able to isolate the areas of the brain he was maximising at the time.

See! I think the point is, is that he has telekinetic abilities and he's continuing to evolve, while we sit around yammering about it.

All the while, he's getting closer and closer to ascending.

You should know there are now 50,000 volts running through that floor, Sir.

And a Tok'ra shield generator barring the door.

It's one way, so we can still fire b*ll*ts in there if we have to.

Finally, Dr Lam believes your abilities can be controlled with a dopamine inhibitor.

A shunt has been inserted into the base of your skull and a massive dose will be automatically injected, should you try anything else.

Thanks for the warning, Richard.

Or do you prefer, d*ck?

No, you didn't tell me your name.

Shame about Major Altman.

He's going to be fine.

We'll see.

Any further outbursts will not be tolerated.

Whatever you say, d*ck.

I heard you guys could use some help.

Yeah, we heard what happened.

How's Major Altman?

He's gonna be OK.

The Ascendometer says Khalek's about 80% there.

Ascendometer?

Mitchell thought of it.

After Khalek was sh*t and started to heal, it sh*t up another five percent or so.

Yeah, we're helping him.

The healing process helped him to learn another aspect of his advancement.

I'll bet anything, he wanted to get sh*t.

You think?

Well, according to the research, the way it works is, the subject gets the treatment in this machine and certain physiological changes are made in the brain.

Then it takes some time, weeks, months, to adjust.

The individual needs to get used to the changes.

Learn how they work.

It's a gradual process.

That's what the scans are showing us.

Khalek is learning to use the advancements the latest treatment gave him.

Now eventually, with enough physical evolution and mental control, he will reach a critical stage, where he will learn to shed his physical body and exist as energy.

Yeah, I always thought there was a spiritual component to ascension.

That you had to be a good person at heart, to do it.

There's certainly one, when there's an Ancient helping you.

Well, obviously, when the process happens naturally, there are no rules.

Well, if you can call this naturally.

Still, the Ori prove you don't have to be moral to ascend.

Who knows, maybe it's part of a grand cosmic balance.

Good and evil have to coexist on all levels.

Well for now, Khalek is still mortal.

I don't think he really wants to die before he's figured it all out.

He's probably been hiding the full extent of his powers from us.

For all we know, he's mocking us because he knows we can't really hurt him.

What else have you learned?

Not much.

I don't think this database is going to be much help anymore.

We've been through it twice now.

Well, the reason I came is because I have an idea.

Based on the data we've collected from the scans on Khalek's brain, I'm thinking that we can run a simulation on the DNA machine, to see where it's really going.

To the best of our knowledge, this has never been done before, right?

Artificially advance a Human being to ascension using technology rather than the help of another ascended being.

The log is incomplete.

Anubis seems to have been stopped before he could finish his experiments.

Let's see if it's really going where we think it is.

I mean, at the very least, maybe get a timeframe.

General.

I'm reconsidering the arrangement with the International Committee that's keeping you here.

Then I suggest you start going through your budget.

Because without their support How can you still be convinced that this is the right course of action?

The scans indicate his advancement has plateaued at roughly 80% of potential brain activity.

That might have something to do with the dopamine inhibitor.

How long are we going to keep this up?

Until we find a way to counteract someone with his abilities, in the field.

According to your own account, the man was able to read your mind.

Doesn't that concern you?

Gravely.

The fact that there are dozens of Priors with abilities like his, roaming the galaxy right now, also concerns me.

And the committee representing the free nations of this planet, General.

For the moment, in my opinion, this situation is under control.

Well, I certainly hope that at the point at which you change your mind isn't too late.

You wanted to see me?

I'm pulling the plug.

You can notify the committee that the SGC no longer requires their support.

General, Khalek's condition is stable.

You've taken ample security precautions.

Every minute we have to study him, record data, the closer we get to a means of fighting the Priors.

Not to mention the possibilities of solving the mysteries of our own existence.

The issues we face can be overwhelming at times.

I can see how someone might lose their perspective.

I haven't lost perspective, General.

I recognise the importance of this research.

That's why I'm not gonna let you stand in the way.

Ultimately, the decision is mine! I'm having Khalek transferred back to his stasis pod on 584, immediately.

Regardless of the consequences to this command.

Thank you.

Nuts! Just about done.

Each of these sections represents a treatment on the machine and the result of advancements.



- You said that Khalek has had five treatments?



- Yeah, according to the log.

Well this is where he should be now in maturity.

Does that mean what I think it means?

We need to report this to Landry.

Yeah.

There's one more thing I think you should do first.

Just to give you a heads up, we're gonna keep you attached all the way home.

You try anything, you're gonna be a drooling idiot in a couple of seconds.

Corporal.

Continue.

Go ahead.

We were just preparing to send Khalek through, to place him back in stasis.

Bad idea.

584 is the last place we should be taking him right now.

In fact it was probably what he was hoping for.

Belay the order! Resecure the prisoner! Back in the seat Now explain why I just did that.

The reason his advancement hasn't plateaued is not because of the dopamine inhibitor.

He's gone as far as he can.

Now, he may have learned to use the physical advancements he now has, but he'll never be able to ascend in his current state.

He needs more treatments on that machine to make it happen.

Keep clear.

The one place we can't send him to, is the lab on 584.

I bet he's been waiting for us to try.

This is Mitchell.

Tell General Landry, the prisoner is secure.

Seems things are no longer in control, d*ck! Are you OK?



-Yeah, I'm fine.

Just help me up.

No you're not.

You have a concussion.

You need to stay put! Look, my head can wait.

We just finished securing him.

He went nuts and k*lled two S.

S.

You think he could have heard us?

Head off to the Gateroom.

Gateroom! Go! Go! Levels 12 through 28 are now secure.

Full emergency contingent is in position and on high alert.

There! Target is on level 21.

Hallway B.

Heading north! Security systems down! We've gone to auxillary power.

Damn! He went that way.

Medical team to level 24.

Hallway D! Meet me at the Gate we'll call this in.

Khalek just went down emergency exit tube 3! Get those doors open! I'm trying Sir! Controls are not working! They're sealed shut! Halt the dialling program! I can't, Sir! You should have k*lled me when you had the chance.

He's locked us out of the system.

Iris control is still down, too.

Incoming wormhole.

Cutting auxillary power to the blast doors! Cameron! The electronic locks are down.

You should be able to prise the doors open.

Yeah! That's easy for you to say! What took you so long?

Iris will not close! Nice sh*t! I rigged the call forwarding device on 584, to dial back here.

And you didn't tell me?

We were going to Sir, but we didn't get a chance.

It's a good thing too, he would have heard us.

Medical team to level 28! Base is secure! Doctor Jackson! I just wanted you to know.

The men who d*ed?

I'm going to see to it personally that their families are well taken care of.

Look, for what it's worth, I understand how you felt and why you took the position you did.

It almost sounds like you might find it in yourself to forgive me.

No.

That doesn't mean we don't all want what you're looking for and the answers are still out there.

And you were right about the risks.

Believe me.

I wish I'd been wrong.

Me too.