02x12 - Epiphany

[bunniefuu]

Why do you have to park so far away?

This ridge was a little
further away than it looked.

You can't just land a
Jumper anywhere, Rodney.

It doesn't matter now, I
think we're almost there.

Rodney, do you even know
what it is we are looking for?

Yeah, well, whatever it is,
it's around here somewhere.

What's around here?

Whatever it was that was causing the energy
spike we detected from the Puddle Jumper.

D'you have any idea
what that looks like?

I'll know it when I see it...

And I see it.

Looks like a door.

Yes, it is remarkably door-like

Well, looks like the only way through
the ridge anyway. It runs for miles.

Alright, let's check it out.

- There's something there.
- What?

Some kind of an energy
barrier around the threshold.

It disappeared.

Or it went right through a cloak.

It has many of the same
properties as a cloaking field.

Yeah, and the Ancients did tend
to hide all the really cool stuff.

Yeah, I would just like to be able
to explain these readings better...

before we step through.

Get me a branch.

You got tape?

Because...

I got a camera!

I didn't ask for a log!

Thank you!

OK, so...

Tape it to the stick...

We extend the camera through,

record for a few minutes, pull
it back, play the recorder.

Yeah! MALP on a stick!

Yes, MALP on a stick, very clever.

Are we done?

Yep!

I am not fluent in Ancient
but I do recognise a few words.

'Welcome' and 'ascension'.

Ascension?

To a higher plane of existence.

The race of people
who built the Stargate,

they eventually evolved to a point where
they ascended to a state of pure energy.

That'd be great!

Yeah, well, sadly it's
a matter of... evolution.

Anyway, I'm sure we've got
more than enough now.

There we go.

And...

have a look, shall we?

OK, then! Any volunteers?

I'll go.

Just... back out if you
encounter anything problematic.

Problematic?

Yeah, like poisonous atmosphere,
acid atmosphere, no atmosphere.

Hey, it's a MALP on a stick,
only shows you so much.

OK.

Here goes.

Weird!

Yeah, it's kinda hurting
my hands a little.

OK, so get outta there.

I'm trying to, but it's pulling me in.

I got you.

OK, come on, guys, get me outta here.

I'm tryin'.

Well, try harder.

No, we proved this it
shouldn't be happening.

Well, it is! It's pulling me in!

It's too strong!

Don't touch the barrier!

I don't know if you can hear
me over the radio, but...

I'm finally on the other side.

Looks just like the pictures.

Hurts pretty bad to move.

I don't know if I can...

Alright, you guys... stay put.

Why did you tell us to let him go?

Because you weren't gonna stop
and the last thing we need...

is both of you to get
pulled in with him.

Why would the Ancestors create
something that would do this?

I don't know.

Figure it out or you're going in after him!

OK, that is not helping! Obviously
the portal reacts differently...

to living matter than it
does to inanimate objects.

It might even be specific to humans.

This is Sheppard, can you hear me now?

I've taken a good look around the area.

Cave opens up to the
other side of the ridge.

There's not much there, so...

I'm just gonna...

wait here...

and give you guys a chance
to figure this one out.

Colonel Sheppard, this
is Teyla. Please respond.

You're wasting your time
and it's not gonna work.

Colonel, if you can
hear me, please respond.

There's absolutely nothing on this tape
that could possibly indicate any kind...

Oh, no!

What?

The memory's full.

It's recorded almost two hours and...

and the battery just d*ed! Dammit!

Why are you wasting time?

That is the one thing I
am not doing. OK, look,

I need something living, like a,
like a flower, or a blossom. OK.

Now would not be a good time to throw that
rock I asked you to throw a few hours ago.

I'd never see it coming,
this side is as black as oil.

There's one thing I haven't tried,
so if you can hear me... stand back.

And if you can't...

Well, then I guess you can't hear me.

Good one, John!

sh**t yourself!

This is downright problematic, Rodney!

To test a theory. Work
with me here, people.

Look, if I'm right, we need to hurry.

What are you doin', McKay?

I am trying to determine how
much faster time is passing...

on the other side of the
portal than it is here.

Why would time progress faster?

That doesn't make any sense.

That is what I am trying
to prove. Now, just wait!

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine...

- McKay...
- ten, bear with me,

twelve, thirteen,
fourteen, fifteen, sixteen,

seventeen, eighteen,
nineteen, and twenty.

A whole lot faster!

Can you hear me now?

The cave opens up to the
other side of the ridge but...

there's nothing in the
immediate area I can survive on.

OK, that's day two and I'm out of water.

We don't leave our people behind,

right?

How about sending me a signal to
show me that you're still there?

Doesn't have to be a rock,
you can write a damn note.

I'm gonna turn off my radio for another
six hours to conserve the battery,

and try to get some sleep.

Sheppard out.

The blossoms have aged
several hours at least.

We might be able to pick him up in the
Jumper but I need to get back to Atlantis.

You're not goin' anywhere.

It is a time dilation field, which
means that time is passing...

much faster on the other side of
the portal than it is here for us.

I'm not sure of the exact
ratio, but I need to go now.

- Why?
- I don't have time...

to explain temporal
compression theory to you...

when every moment we
stand here debating this,

literally hours could be going by
for Colonel Sheppard relative to us.

Look, hours equate to days, and days for us
could mean years for him. Do you get it now?

Teyla!

I need you to follow me back
as far as the Puddle Jumper...

and I'll explain what
I need you to do on the way.

And you, stay here.

And do what?

Don't go through, if
that's what you're thinking.

Give me the knapsack.

Rodney, Teyla... Ronon?

Come in?

You guys are starting to
worry me a little bit here.

Empty your pockets, everything
you think he might need to survive.

We might just buy him a
little more time there.

Come on.

- Go.
- Good.

What the hell took you guys so long?

Alright. Emergency rations,
medical kit. Anything else?

Extra batteries for the camcorder.

Right. You know what to do?

Press Record, extend and
hold for three seconds.

No more, no less.

- And then pull it out again.
- Right.

If he's still there, that should give him
plenty of time to record a detailed message.

Dammit! Why didn't I
send through a note?

What do you mean if he is still there?

Look, depending on the
compression ratio inside the field,

there's a very good chance he
may have used up the supplies...

we've sent through by
the time you get back.

I know it's hard to get your head around
but what it means is we have to...

- We must hurry.
- Right. Go-go-go-go-go-go-go.

Good!

Alright!

Right!

What, you have no idea
whether he's injured?

The excruciating pain he was experiencing
was a result of the temporal differential.

And what is that, exactly?

The... portal must somehow
dampen the extreme tidal forces...

that would normally occur in the
event horizon of a time dilation field,

and we were keeping him
from passing through it.

So part of his body is experiencing
time at a different pace than the other?

Who knows what that could do to him?

I have no idea, but I
suspect he could use a doctor.

So you don't even know if he's alive?

The most time-efficient approach was to
assume that he was alive but stranded.

And why not assume that he'll make
his own way back through the portal?

Because Col Sheppard would
have already had hours...

to try to make it back
through the portal in the time...

I wasted explaining the
situation to Conan and Xena!

- Now, Rodney, that's not very...
- No.

No, I suppose it isn't.

This is McKay. Supplies
been loaded aboard yet?

Almost there, Sir.
Just a few more cases.

Alright. When you're done with that,
make sure you assist Zelenka...

in securing the descent probe
into the launch compartment.

Let's move.

This is Sheppard.

I'm pretty sure you can't
hear me, but I don't have...

a volleyball to talk
to, so what the hell...

I've rationed what little I
have for as long as I could but

I have enough left
for maybe one more day.

I've gotta get myself
something to live on...

while I find my own
source of food and water.

Not that I didn't appreciate
the three canteens...

of water and the whole
handful of power bars.

There's nothing in the immediate
area. I'm gonna have to go further out.

I'm giving you an
indication of where I go,

as I go.

Sheppard out.

That was quick.

Not fast enough, I fear.

Get the camera.

Doctor McKay would like
us to try this again.

To see if Sheppard's still alive?

And to determine the true
passage of time on the other side.

Alright.

Alright.

One, two, three.

That wasn't long enough to see anything.

And yet it seems to have
recorded several minutes.

He is not there.

Well, you're either gonna eat me, or...

I'm gonna eat you.

We've loaded weeks of supplies
and everything I could think of.

What're we not thinking of?

Now take a minute, and be certain.

If your theory is correct, you won't
be able to make many of these trips.

I am painfully aware of that.

I remind you only because
from what you've told me,

rushing is what got Sheppard
into trouble in the first place.

This was not his fault, it was mine.

I should have looked
more closely at the video.

The clues were there before
he even stepped through.

Look, all I can hope to do now
is fix this within his lifetime.

His lifetime?

If it takes us a week to ten days
to fix this, then it won't matter,

because he will probably
have d*ed of old age.

- Oh, my God.
- Yeah, hence the rushing.

Now, you ready? You don't look ready.

I'm ready.

I need to pick up a few of my
books to help with the translation.

Well, we'll pick em up on the way, and
I hope you've got us a real Jumper pilot

because I don't trust him and I can't
fly the damned thing in a straight line.

Help!

Help me, please!

Where is it?

It's there. In the trees.

What is it?

The Beast!

Alright, is there a safe
place for us to go?

No, no, the Cloister is too far.

It's upon us!

Stay down, and stay behind me.

You can't fight it!

Maybe we can scare it away.

Get outta here!

There it is.

Well, according to these
readings, it's not there.

Rodney, I can see it with my own
eyes it's right inside that crater.

It's hard to say whether the Ancients
actually built it inside the crater...

or whether the rim formed as a
result of the time dilation field.

The Jumper sensors aren't
picking up anything?

Nothing, ma'am.

Alright. Position us directly
above it and stand by.

Prepare to launch the probe on my mark.

What is this probe of
yours supposed to do?

Well, it's supposed to descend slowly
into the atmosphere of a gas giant.

The chute opens, the probe
separates into two components...

joined by a tether
hundreds of metres long.

So we should be able to receive telemetry
from inside the time dilation field

while the other half of
the probe is still outside.

Right. And depending on the
variance, we might be able

to fly right into the
field and rescue Sheppard.

Very clever, Rodney!

Yes, it is.

Actually, it was Zelenka's idea.

Hi.

He's awake again!

I am now!

I am Teer.

Have we met?

When Avrid first brought you here.

You were terribly injured
from fighting the Beast.

Avrid carried you almost
halfway across the Sanctuary.

And I healed you.

You did?

You're a little young to be a doctor.

Hedda is one of the few among us
who possesses the healing power.

Well, good. Thank you.

It's we who should thank you for
saving our brother from the Beast.

It's funny, I don't remember winning.

It's good to see you
awake and well again.

Didn't it come after you?

No. Only the Ascended know why.

None of them are around, are they?

Are you hungry?

Starving.

Which one of you got me out
of my clothes and into these?

I did.

Is that alright?

Yeah. I just usually like to...

meet a woman before she sees me naked.

What do we have here?

I'm glad you're feeling better.
Welcome to your new home.

Avrid, I'm happy to visit and
I'm grateful for the food...

and the whole healing thing, but...

do you know the way out of here?

There is no way to leave,
John, other than to ascend.

What exactly do you
mean by "there's no way"?

That is the sole
purpose of this place...

To meditate upon ascension and one day
join those who created the Sanctuary.

The thing is, I've got other plans.

Then why did you enter the portal?

Well, call it a mistake. I tried to stop
it but the damned thing sucked me in.

Those that came before us made certain
that there could be no indecision.

Once you set foot within the
Sanctuary, your path was chosen.

Not by me!

Once you cross the threshold,
you are committed...

to be here for the
remainder of your days.

Alright. Launch the probe on my mark.

Three, two, one, mark.

The probe's about to pass
through the field. Stand by.

Dammit!

- What happened?
- Exactly what I was afraid would happen.

The probe was ripped apart by tidal forces
at the event horizon almost instantly.

So we can't fly through it
and rescue Colonel Sheppard?

Not unless we wanna be ripped apart too!

Did you receive any telemetry
before the probe failed?

Actually quite a lot. Looks
like mostly gibberish, though.

This is gonna take me the better
part of an hour to go through.

I'm glad I finally got you outside.

You've been alone in
your room for so long.

I'm being depressed.

Is it so terrible here?

No, you folks have
been great. It's just...

I have responsibilities back home.

People I care about,
and who care about me.

At least I thought they did.

Why'd you come here?

Well, I was born here.

No, I mean your people.

Well, they came generations ago.

I'm from a race of people
who revered those...

who came before us, those
who created this place.

We call them Ancients.

To follow in their footsteps, to ascend,

was the greatest goal
among our forefathers.

Many centuries ago, some of our people
sensed it was within them to do so.

It took them many years to discover...

the location of this world
and once they found it,

they came to this world as a pilgrimage.

We are their descendants.

Not many of you left.

No. We are the last.

So what's holdin' you back?

Journeys such as ours
can take a lifetime.

You afraid it might not happen?

We're not afraid of anything.

Well, I'd be pretty
afraid of that Beast thing.

As long as we stay in
the Cloister, we're safe.

And what kind of life is that?

Well, life here is not
entirely without its pleasures.

The telemetry was not entirely
gibberish. Bring up the HUD.

I've been able to determine the location
of the power source inside the field, here.

What good is that?

Once we know where the generator is, one way
or another, I should be able to turn it off.

You know, you don't have to
do this for me every morning.

You saved my brother's life.

Then shouldn't he be the
one bringing me breakfast?

He is meditating with the others.

He's always meditating.
Everyone's always meditating.

At least share it with me.

It's OK.

It is very close.

It's here.

It's never come inside the Cloister.

- I am scared.
- It's OK.

- Take her inside.
- John...

- Do it.
- Go.

OK, people, I'm starting to develop
some serious abandonment issues here!

OK, but I'm warning
you I've got a Kn*fe!

No! Come back! Come back! Come back!

Now there's two of us!

Ronon!

He left a sign for us to see.

He must have gone to
look for another way out.

At least we know he may still be alive.

Teyla, Ronon. We're inbound in the Jumper
and should touch down in a few minutes.

Meet us at the landing site.

Understood.

We thought we'd lost you again.

What happened?

I've never seen such bravery.

Were it not for you,
all may have been lost.

I don't remember
winning this time either.

He's not fully healed.

- I'm fine.
- You've done enough, Hedda. Come on.

Let's get you some rest.

What the hell's the
matter with you people?

I don't understand.

I'm talking about letting her stand
out there alone against that thing.

v*olence is not the path to ascension.

There's a difference between
v*olence and self-defence.

We are very close to ascension, John.

All of us.

If we leave the path, it
may be lost to us forever.

Everything may be lost to you forever
unless you stand up to that damned thing.

I must join the others in meditation.

You sure it was three seconds?

Yes.

And there's twelve minutes of video.

- Yes.
- Alright, so it's a ratio of about...

Two hundred and fifty to one.

I sent my watch through,

along with a letter
to Colonel Sheppard...

telling him we're doing
our best to rescue him.

If you would like to check again...

No, that's good, that's good,
that's good, good.. good thinking.

Just out of curiosity, what does that mean
for Colonel Sheppard in terms of... days?

We're already talking months.

You don't have to wait up for me.

You've been gone over a day.

Yeah, well, after I found my weapons,

I decided to take a run all the way back
to the portal, and look what I found.

I don't know what took em so long, but my
friends finally sent some supplies through.

There are people here who care for you.

Sorry, I should've...

told somebody.

I knew.

I was following your journey in my mind.

I was with you since
you left the Cloister.

Is that some special power of
yours you haven't told me about?

Yes.

I've been with you each time you've
searched for a means to leave us.

As Hedda has the power to heal, I
am able to see images in my mind.

It's not uncommon for those on the path
to ascension to gain such abilities.

I wish you woulda told me, I
could've used you out there.

It took me forever to find this stuff!

Before my mother ascended, she
could move things with her mind.

You can imagine how wondrous
that would be for a child.

Sit with me.

I was the one who
sent Avrid to find you.

You did?

Because I knew you
were coming that night,

and I knew where you
would be in the field

and I have known since I was a child

that you would sit here
with me as you do now.

I've been able to close my eyes and
see your face my entire life, John.

You are the one.

The one what?

The one who will lead us to ascension.

What is it?

Nothin'. I just was hoping you were
going in a different direction with that.

I've seen that as well.

That's why I waited for you.

Really?

Tonight.

Tonight?

I... I wish you woulda told me, I
wouldn't have gone on a ten-hour run.

And in the coming days, once
you have defeated the Beast,

we will ascend together,

all of us.

You mean all of you.

I haven't given up on you just yet.

I don't know how that's gonna
happen, Teer. I really don't.

Look, I've been up
against that thing twice.

I don't see how a third time's
gonna turn out any different.

You don't have to know how.

You just have to trust that it will.

OK, I think I've got it.

I am interpreting a bit,
but it seems the field...

was designed as a
sanctuary from the Wraith,

but a place the last of the
Ancients could travel to...

and hopefully ascend
without fear of att*ck.

Of course. They could potentially spend
entire lifetimes inside the field...

before the Wraith even
discovered the place.

And if they ever att*cked, their ships
would get torn apart just as the probe did.

And so it has remained
for ten thousand years.

This writing here...

this serves as a sort of welcome,

as well as a warning
for any of the humans...

under their protection
looking for sanctuary,

but I think it was left
there for anyone...

who wanted to seek the path
to ascension on their own.

And what's the warning?

That once you cross the
threshold, there's no return.

That is, unless you have the exact
location of the power source...

and the expertise to turn it off.

Hey, we may even get
a ZedPM out of this.

Now you're talkin'.

Lieutenant, this is Weir. If
you haven't heard from us in...

Rodney?

Well, an hour would give
us months in there, but,

Elizabeth, of all the people
who should stay, it would be you.

There may be writing by the power
source that needs translating.

There is a slight chance that
when we go through...

Rodney, I'm going.

Lieutenant, one hour, then
head back to Atlantis...

and see if Zelenka
can think of anything.

Understood.

Well, he may need medical treatment
and I'm the only doctor here,

so I should probably just...

Carson, it probably won't hurt so
much if you just go through quickly.

Alright, let's do this.

That wasn't so bad!

You were just...

That's weird...?

Well, we may as well relax. The others
are gonna be at least five minutes.

Judging by the location
of the power source,

we've got a long walk ahead of us, so...

Haven't any of you seen thunderstorms?

The Sanctuary provides
rain for the orchards.

I'm talkin' about thunder and lightning.

Giant bolts of electricity
sh**ting down from the sky.

Sounds scary.

Well, it is scary, but
it's also very cool.

It's OK to be scared, it's part of life.

You know, when I was a kid, we used
to have storms that shook the house.

Scared me half to death.

When we are ascended, we
will experience such things.

Hell, if you're ascended,
you can make thunderstorms!

I'm talking about
actually experiencing life.

We contemplate on the
experience that is life each day.

I'm talking about living it.

Haven't any of you got things you wanna
do as flesh and blood human beings first?

I mean, you, you talk about...

moving on to a plane of existence
beyond your own mortality,

but you haven't even really lived.

Our lives are full.

Well, I've spent a long time
with you folks, and I don't think

"full" means what you think it means.

To ascend, one must meditate.

You're not meditating, you're hiding.

From what?

You know the answer to that.

He means the Beast.

Yes, I do.

Now I don't know how any of you
expect me to feel like I belong here,

but every time that thing comes around,

I'm out there alone.

You're not alone.

I know, you were out there too.

No, I mean your friends have come.

They number five.

They've come for you.

They have? Are, are you sure?
That's the best news I've...

No, John, I sense something more.

The Beast is nearly upon them.

You know, I was just thinking, this
entire field, I mean not the field

I mean the field, field

must generate its own day and night cycle,
not to mention its own artificial climate.

I mean, it's incredible!
When you think...

You wanna pick up the pace, McKay?

Hey, he's waited for months. Another
half hour isn't gonna k*ll him.

We don't know how long
it's gonna take to find him.

Aye, and besides that, I have a date planned
with Lieutenant Cadman for tomorrow night.

Oh, no, so we've only
got twelve years in here!

What? What is it?

I'm not detecting anything.

Doesn't mean it isn't there.

Can you see anything?

No. But I sense something is close.

Maybe we should try another way?

Won't make any difference.
It's stalking us.

Sounds like it's more than one.

Yeah, more than one what?

I do not know.

What the hell took you so long?

Believe it or not, you were
only gone a couple of hours.

Try six months!

You don't understand, you've been
trapped in a time dilation field.

What?

- What was that bloody thing?
- I don't know.

What's a time dilation field?

Can we talk about this somewhere else?

No, it is still close.

You've fought this thing before?

Twice.

How did you b*at it?

Still haven't figured that out.

Now'd be a good time.

Yeah, well, what'd you say we
just fight it and see what happens?

John?

Friends of yours?

We've come to stand with
you, whatever happens.

No, we've come to fight.

And we are not afraid of you.

The Beast is of our own creation,

and it is long past
time we sent it away.

That's it? That's all it took?

You were right, John. We were afraid.

The Beast was the final burden we had
to shed, manifest from our own fears.

You gave us the courage to face it.

Come with us.

I'm not ready for that yet.

I'm not sure I'll ever be.

One day, perhaps?

Yeah, one day.

I'll look forward to it.

There'll be no need to destroy
the Sanctuary, Doctor McKay.

What?

No..., I wasn't thinking that, I was...

We will keep the portal open
for you until you are gone.

At which point the ZedPM which undoubtedly
powers this beautiful place will be...

Sanctuary was left by
those who came before us,

for those who may seek it
out and follow the path.

And it will continue to remain

after you are gone.

Yeah, but...

Absolutely.

What is it with you and ascended women?

Well, the beard is interesting!

First thing to go when we get home.

Never thought I'd see any of you again.

Kind of even...

missed you a little.

Yeah, well, it was only a
couple of hours for us, so...

Ronon.

We were all quite worried about you.

Of course we were.

We're just sorry we
didn't get here sooner.

Let's get outta here!