Transcript

Summary | Production | Transcript | Fan Reviews
"The Prodigal"

The team fights to retake control of Atlantis when Michael infiltrates the control room to take Teyla's child and destroy the city.

EPISODE #514
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 11.07.2008
SYNDICATION AIR DATE: 02.22.2010
DVD DISC: Season 5, Disc 4
WRITTEN BY: Carl Binder
DIRECTED BY: Andy Mikita
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Transcript by Callie Sullivan

Czech translation by Klenotka

ATLANTIS. NIGHT TIME. Ronon Dex has just arrived in Richard Woolsey's office and is standing in front of his desk.

DEX: You wanted to see me?

WOOLSEY: May I ask why you have not filed a single mission report since I assumed command of this base?

DEX (shrugging): 'Cause I haven't given you any.

WOOLSEY: As you know, one of the changes I made around here is to require every team member to file mission reports, as opposed to only team leaders and science officers.

DEX: Really? I didn't – I didn't know that.

WOOLSEY: I announced it my fourth day here at an Away Team orientation meeting detailing changes to mission protocol.

(Ronon frowns, perplexed.)

DEX: Was I there?

WOOLSEY: Yes. It was mandatory.

DEX: Because I don't – I don't ...

WOOLSEY: I saw you there. It's kind of hard to miss you. Look, my point is, I want you to file a report – every mission.

(Ronon grimaces awkwardly.)

DEX: I'm not good at writing.

WOOLSEY: I figured you might say that. Use this.

(He hands him a small device.)

WOOLSEY: It's a digital voice recorder. Speak into it – we'll plug it in and your report will be automatically transcribed and filed with the others.

(Ronon looks uncomfortable.)

DEX: I'm not good at talkin' either.

(Richard rolls his eyes, trying hard to keep his temper.)


CORRIDOR. In a corridor of the city, two remote controlled cars race along. The yellow one is ahead of the red one.

McKAY: Oh, I'm sorry(!) Too fast for you, buddy boy?!

(The cars race towards John Sheppard and Rodney McKay, who are standing at a corner and each controlling one of the cars. From Rodney's smug comment, it's clear that he's in control of the yellow one. The cars skid around the corner and head off down the straight, the red car beginning to catch up to the yellow.)

SHEPPARD: The nursing home just called, Rodney. They want their scooter back.

McKAY: Scooter?! That is a tricell lipo pack under my hood, son!

(The red car pulls alongside the yellow one, then nudges into it and shoves it against the wall. As the impact slows it down, the red car surges ahead.)

McKAY (indignantly): Hey!

SHEPPARD: Ooh, sorry! My bad!

(Rodney manoeuvres his car out of the wall and sends it chasing off after the red car again. The cars reach the end of the corridor where a small cylinder has been placed. The boys twist their controls frantically to swing their cars around the cylinder.)

McKAY: Oh yeah. I will trample you!

SHEPPARD: Don't trip on your skirt.

(The cars begin to race back towards the boys. Suddenly Teyla Emmagan appears out of a side corridor, cradling Torren in her arms. She screams, startled, as the cars charge towards her, and dances out of their way. The boys stop the cars and anxiously run towards her as she flattens herself against the wall.)

SHEPPARD: You OK?

TEYLA: I could have dropped him!

SHEPPARD: Sorry. We didn't know anyone was around. You sure you're all right?

McKAY: Come to think about it, what are you doing down here anyway?

TEYLA: Trying to get Torren to sleep. I find that walking him is the best way to calm him.

McKAY: Ooh, he's colicky, huh?

TEYLA: Doctor Keller says it's a phase. It will pass.

McKAY: Don't worry about it. I was a colicky baby too. Just do what my mum did, which is let me cry myself to sleep. I'm no worse for it.

(John frowns. There's a long, awkward pause.)

TEYLA: Anyway, we usually take turns walking him, but Kanaan is away visiting our people for a few days.

SHEPPARD: Yeah.

(He looks at Torren, who is fast asleep in his mother's arms.)

SHEPPARD: I'd – I'd help you out, but looks like you've got everything taken care of.

TEYLA: Yes. Now all I have to do is get him back to my quarters without waking him ... (she glares at them) ... or being run over.

McKAY: Yeah, well, we're – I mean, we're done here.

(Teyla sighs in exasperation as she turns and heads back down the side corridor.)

McKAY: We're just, you know, finishing up, really, so ...

SHEPPARD (waving to Teyla's back): Night.

McKAY (to Teyla's back): Night! Have a good one!

(They watch her go for a moment, then instantly activate their controls and spin their cars around before sending them screaming off down the corridor again.)

McKAY: Go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-goooo!

(The cars are side by side as they reach the end of the corridor, and the boys grimace with effort as they send them flying around the corner.)


TEYLA'S QUARTERS. Gently she lays Torren down into his cradle. He frets and kicks his feet for a moment as she settles him into position and carefully withdraws her hands and softly pulls a blanket over him. He settles down again.


CORRIDOR. John and Rodney are carrying their cars.

McKAY: I must have put too much strain on the motor. The shaft needs a bushing in the lube. (Off John's expression) What?

(John shrugs. Just then all the lights go out.)

SHEPPARD: What's that about?

McKAY: Beats me.

(He activates his radio headset.)

McKAY: Radek. Come in.

(There's no reply.)

McKAY: Control Room, it's Doctor McKay. We just lost power in the east pier. What's going on?

(Again there's no reply. They make their way to an open doorway and walk onto a balcony which gives them a view of the central city. Almost all of it is in darkness except for the Control Room in the central tower.)

McKAY: That's strange. The lights are out all over the city except the Control Room.

SHEPPARD: Why's that?

McKAY (activating his headset): This is Doctor Rodney McKay calling anyone in the Control Room. Please respond.

(Still no reply.)

SHEPPARD: Something's definitely not right.


TEYLA'S QUARTERS. Teyla walks to the doors and swipes her hand over the wall panel. When the doors won't open, she activates her headset.

TEYLA: Rodney, are you there? ... Colonel Sheppard?


STORE ROOM. John picks up as many flashlights and walkie talkie radios as he can carry and comes out to join Rodney who is looking at a control panel on the wall.

McKAY: Everything's dead. There's no way of knowing what the hell's going on.

SHEPPARD: All right.

(He sees a marine approaching with a few colleagues. He goes over to them and starts handing out equipment.)

SHEPPARD: Hey, Rivers. Fan out, find as many marines as you can, work your way up to the central tower. If you run into Woolsey, let me know. Communications are down – we're on walkies.

(Radek Zelenka comes over to join the group.)

McKAY: Radek!

ZELENKA: Rodney, what's going on?

McKAY: What, you don't know either?

ZELENKA: I'm on my way to the control tower. I tried to radio you.

SHEPPARD: Power is out except for the central tower. Here. (He hands him a flashlight and radio.)

McKAY: Look, I need you to go to the main power room instead. See if you can reboot the system from there.

ZELENKA: OK, all right.


TEYLA'S QUARTERS. As Teyla checks on her sleeping baby, the doors slide open. She turns and looks as two men come into view, their faces in shadow.

TEYLA: Hello?

(One of them raises a stunner pistol and shoots her. She tumbles to the floor, unconscious.)


MAIN POWER ROOM. Radek pumps a lever up and down several times but nothing happens.

ZELENKA (angrily in Czech): This is absolutely pointless.

(He plugs a computer tablet into another panel.)


STAIRWELL. John trots up a flight of stairs. Rodney follows him more slowly. Radek's voice comes over his walkie talkie.

ZELENKA: Rodney, do you hear me?

McKAY: Yeah, Radek, go ahead.

ZELENKA: I've tried to restart power. So far absolutely no success.

McKAY (breathlessly): What about the ZedP.M.?

ZELENKA: I've checked it, as well as the naqahdah generator. Neither are online.

(Rodney stops, trying in vain to catch his breath.)

ZELENKA: Someone must have disabled them from the Control Room.

McKAY: If that was the case, then they wouldn't have any power up there either.

ZELENKA: No, not unless they're using an external power source.

McKAY: OK, listen to me. I want you to do exactly the same thing. Initiate a temporary patch using an external power source – one of the auxiliary battery units.

ZELENKA: Yes, but that won't be enough to power the entire city, not by a long shot.

McKAY: Don't worry about that. Just get me enough juice to access the mainframe. We're gonna figure out what the hell's going on up there.

ZELENKA: All right. Whereabouts are you, right now?

(Rodney grimaces.)

McKAY: Like, level thirty-six.

SHEPPARD: Thirty-five.

McKAY: Oh, great, thirty-five(!) Perfect. So just another twenty-eight floors to go, and that's just this stairwell, then we get to level sixty-three, get to cross over to an ancillary stairwell, climb another four levels – that's just to access the Gateroom ...

(He starts to trudge up the stairs again.)

McKAY: Ooh, you know, see if you can route some of that power to transporters while you're at it!

ZELENKA: All right, I'll try.


LATER. A long time later, the boys reach a landing. John heads off, breathing hard. The crew who are milling around the landing look around as Rodney drags himself up the final stairs, gasping for breath and soaked in sweat. He pauses for a moment, his hands on his knees, dragging air into his lungs, then stumbles off after John.

(A little later John reaches a closed door. Some moments later Rodney totters over to join him.)

McKAY (weakly): Hey.

SHEPPARD: This door leads to the Gateroom stairwell, right?

McKAY: Yeah.

(He touches the wall panel but the doors don't open.)

McKAY: Well, maybe the door was already closed when we lost power.

SHEPPARD: Or it was sealed on purpose to keep people out.

McKAY: What, you think someone's infiltrated Atlantis?

ZELENKA (over walkie talkie): Rodney?

McKAY (activating it): Talk to me.

ZELENKA: I've initiated a temporary patch. I was able to route partial power to your lab.

McKAY: Well, what about the transporters?

ZELENKA: Still working on it.

McKAY: Yeah, well, let me know when you've got one online.

SHEPPARD: Go to your lab and try to tap into the mainframe. I'll try the other stairwells. They're probably blocked too, but who knows? Maybe there's another way up.

McKAY: All right.

(They head off in different directions. John finds Major Lorne and a group of marines at another closed doorway. Some of them are working on the wall panel.)

LORNE: Colonel.

SHEPPARD: That one's sealed too?

LORNE: Yeah. All the stairwell doors are. Been trying to find a way up to the Gateroom since the power went out.

SHEPPARD: Yeah, so have we.

LORNE: Any idea what's going on yet?

SHEPPARD: Well, McKay's still working on it.

LORNE: I guess we could blow the door with C4.

SHEPPARD: And we probably will, but we're not there yet. I need to know what we're up against before we go storming up there.


RODNEY'S LAB. Rodney is working on a laptop and looking exasperated. John comes in.

SHEPPARD: Any luck?

McKAY: Not much. You're right, though. I mean, someone's taken over Atlantis. I hacked into the mainframe – I'm having a hard time accessing several of the critical systems, and the ones that I can access are read-only.

(Radek walks in. Rodney stares at him in surprise.)

McKAY: What are you ... how'd you get up here so fast?

ZELENKA: Oh, I was able to get some of the transporters back online again.

(Rodney sags in exasperation.)

SHEPPARD: What about the transporter in the Gateroom level?

ZELENKA: No, sadly no. There's a lockout code in place on that one.

(John sighs, then has a thought and clicks his fingers.)

SHEPPARD: Surveillance cameras.

McKAY: We've got closed circuit feeds on the Control Room and the Gateroom.

ZELENKA: Well, that is if you're not locked out of those as well.

McKAY: They're not critical systems. I should be able to access them if ...

(He types and after a moment is rewarded with a view overlooking the Gateroom.)

McKAY: Got it.

(They look in surprise at the sight of a Puddle Jumper parked directly in front of the Stargate.)

ZELENKA: Puddle Jumper?

(Rodney types and accesses another camera, this one showing the Control Room. There is at least one person there with his back to the camera.)

ZELENKA: Who is that?

McKAY: It's definitely not Atlantis personnel.

(Another person walks across the Control Room. He's in shadow so they can't see who he is, but he is heading towards Richard's office.)

SHEPPARD: Can you get a feed on Woolsey's office?

McKAY: Yeah, hang on.

(He types and calls up the image.)

McKAY: Oh my God!

(Teyla is lying unconscious on one of the armchairs in the office. Just then she wakes up and looks around. Torren, wrapped in a blanket, is lying on one of the other armchairs. She scrambles up and goes across to check on him just as a familiar figure walks into the room behind her.)

McKAY: Is that ...?

SHEPPARD: Yeah.

(Teyla picks up Torren and turns to see the figure standing behind her.)

TEYLA: Michael!

MICHAEL: Hello, Teyla.

TEYLA: How did you get here?

(Michael looks down into the Gateroom.)

MICHAEL: The ship I borrowed from your people. It has provided me with a wealth of information and technology – and the key to infiltrating this base.


FLASHBACK.

WOOLSEY: Use this.

(He hands Ronon a small device.)

WOOLSEY: It's a digital voice recorder. Speak into it – we'll plug it in and your report will be automatically transcribed and filed with the others.

(Ronon looks uncomfortable.)

DEX: I'm not good at talkin' either.

(Richard rolls his eyes, trying hard to keep his temper. He opens his mouth but just then the Stargate begins to dial in.)

BANKS: Unscheduled offworld activation.

(As the Gate kawhooshes, Richard stands up and he and Ronon go out into the Control Room and walk over to Technician Amelia Banks' console.)

WOOLSEY: Is the shield raised?

BANKS: Yes, sir.

(She checks her screen.)

BANKS: Major Nelson's I.D.C.

WOOLSEY: They're early – not due back until tomorrow. All right, let 'em in.

(Amelia types and the shield drops. A Puddle Jumper flies through the event horizon and then settles onto the floor of the Gateroom as the Gate closes down. Richard frowns.)

WOOLSEY: It's not going up to the Jumper Bay. What's wrong?

(Amelia activates her comms.)

BANKS: Major Nelson, what's your status?

(A shimmering forcefield begins to deploy around the Jumper.)

WOOLSEY: What is that?

DEX: Get everybody out of here.

(Nobody reacts.)

DEX (urgently): GET 'EM OUT NOW!

(Too late. The field expands rapidly, washing across the area. Everybody in the Gateroom and Control Room drops to the floor unconscious. A moment later the door of the Jumper open to reveal Michael. He and at least six of his hybrids walk out and head up to the Control Room, dragging personnel out of the way. Michael and one of the hybrids sit down at a couple of the consoles and begin to type.)

MICHAEL: Closing all immediate access doors.

(All around the area the doors begin to close.)

HYBRID: I've activated the portal's shield.

MICHAEL: Good. What about the external power interface?

HYBRID: We're connected. The Control Room level is now drawing power directly from the ship.

MICHAEL: Is the stun field holding?

HYBRID: Yes. Two levels above and below us are protected.

MICHAEL: Now we can get to work.

END FLASHBACK.

MICHAEL: Forgive me.

(He walks closer to her. She backs away, cradling Torren protectively.)

MICHAEL: I forgot to congratulate you. What's his name?

(Teyla glares at him. He looks away awkwardly for a moment.)

MICHAEL: No matter. We don't have much time, I'm afraid. My hybrids are preparing to activate Atlantis' self destruct device. As soon as they do that, we will leave.

TEYLA: You're going to destroy Atlantis?

MICHAEL: A punishment richly deserved. Not that I expect you to agree with me. But don't worry – your baby will be safe.

TEYLA: You are not taking my son.

MICHAEL: Yes, Teyla, I am. You know how important your child is to me. His father and you have given him a powerful gift that I will utilise to exert greater control over my legion of hybrids. He is the key to increasing my strength, securing my reign over the galaxy.

TEYLA: Your reign is over. You will not make it out of here alive. My people will make certain ...

MICHAEL (loudly): ENOUGH! Enough!

(He walks towards her angrily as Torren begins to fret. Again she backs away from him nervously as he glares down at her.)

MICHAEL: Do you think you've weakened me? You've destroyed my facilities, ruined much of my research, but you cannot – you cannot weaken my resolve. Make no mistake, Teyla, I am as strong now as I have ever been.

(He steps away from her.)

MICHAEL: Look around you. I am in control of Atlantis – the very place where your people ended my life as I knew it. It's only fitting that I return to extinguish this blight from the galaxy once and for all.


RODNEY'S LAB. Lorne has arrived and is looking at the footage of the Control Room.

LORNE: I thought Michael was dead.

ZELENKA (sighing): As did I.

LORNE: I mean, we blew up his ship, right?

McKAY: He's the one who stole our Jumper, used it to escape from his Cruiser before we could destroy it. He's like a cockroach, you know? Every time you try to step on him, he just skitters away.

(John comes back into the room with an armed team of marines.)

SHEPPARD: All right, we need to get moving.

(He points to a schematic on a computer screen.)

SHEPPARD: Lorne, you and your team take this stairwell. My team will take this stairwell. We move into position. You wait for my mark to blast the door, we head up, we take the Gateroom. McKay, you're with me. Zelenka, stay here, try to figure this thing out.

ZELENKA: Certainly.

SHEPPARD (to the soldiers): All right, we're giving Michael no quarter. If you get a shot at him, take it, make sure he's dead. Let's move.


CONTROL ROOM ANNEXE. Ronon regains consciousness and sits up, frowning at the sight of several other Atlantis personnel lying on the floor around him, all still unconscious. He drags himself to his feet, staggers across to the doors and swipes the wall panel but it just beeps at him. He reaches for his holster, only to find that his blaster is missing. He grimaces angrily.


CONTROL ROOM. The hybrid who was working the consoles earlier comes to the door of Richard's office.

HYBRID: I must speak with you.

(Michael follows him onto the bridge leading to the Control Room.)

HYBRID: We are still having difficulty with the self destruct device.

MICHAEL: Why?

HYBRID: As I told you, the encryption is much more complex than we had anticipated. We have run several integer factorisation algorithms – nothing has worked so far.

MICHAEL: Keep at it.

(He turns away.)

HYBRID: For how long?

(Michael turns back and glares at him.)

MICHAEL: As long as it takes.

HYBRID: It is only a matter of time before the others figure out a way through our defences.

MICHAEL: I know, but you will have solved the encryption problem before then.

HYBRID: We have the baby. We don't have to remain here.

MICHAEL: We are not leaving until that device is armed.

(Reluctantly, the hybrid nods and goes back to the Control Room. Michael walks back into the office.)

TEYLA (sarcastically): Problems?

MICHAEL: Nothing that can't be dealt with.

TEYLA: You do know that Colonel Sheppard is no doubt preparing strike teams to retake the Gateroom?

MICHAEL: Of course – probably moving them into place as we speak. But don't worry – they're not getting in here.


CORRIDORS. John's team makes its way to closed doors to the stairwell and John attaches a block of C4 to them, then activates his walkie talkie.

SHEPPARD: Major, what's your status?

(Elsewhere, Lorne has just finished attaching a block of C4 to another set of doors.)

LORNE: C4's in place, Colonel. Ready when you are.

(John retreats around the corner with the rest of his team and Rodney puts his fingers in his ears. John looks round at them.)

SHEPPARD: Fire in the hole. (Into radio) On my mark. Three, two, one, mark.

(He and Lorne press their detonators and both sets of doors blow.)

SHEPPARD (to his team): Move!

(The teams head out, run into their respective stairwells and start to hurry up the stairs. Rodney looks at a device he's carrying as it beeps urgently.)

McKAY: Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa.

(He and the others stop.)

McKAY: Picking up a serious energy reading up ahead.

SHEPPARD: What is it?

McKAY: I don't know, but we should stop until I do.

(He starts to work on his device. John activates his walkie talkie.)

SHEPPARD: Major Lorne, hold up.

(Lorne begins to slow down but is too late to prevent the top of his head impacting a forcefield running horizontally across the stairs. He tumbles backwards. The marine behind him catches him and the team gently lowers him to the floor on the landing below. Rivers activates his walkie talkie.)

RIVERS: Colonel Sheppard, Major Lorne is down.

SHEPPARD: What happened?

RIVERS: I don't know. I think he hit some kind of forcefield. He's alive but unconscious.

SHEPPARD: Get him out of there and fall back.

(He deactivates his radio and looks at Rodney.)

SHEPPARD: I figure he's got himself a forcefield.

McKAY (still working on his device): He is nothing if not annoyingly industrious.

SHEPPARD: All right. What do we do?

McKAY: Well, we disable it.

SHEPPARD: How?

McKAY: We ... we ... That's a good question.


LATER. John and Rodney have returned to the lab.

McKAY: I've been examining the energy reading we picked up and it appears that Michael has somehow managed to modify the Wraith stun pulse technology and integrate it with the Puddle Jumper cloaking mechanism.

ZELENKA: Yeah, creating a kind of a stun bubble.

McKAY (grimacing): No, a forcefield – around the Control Room and the Gateroom. Look, while it's in place, we're not gettin' in there.

SHEPPARD: Well, I know that. What you haven't told me is how we're gonna turn it off.

McKAY: That's because we haven't figured that part out yet. Look, it's gonna be very tricky.

ZELENKA: Yeah, you see, Michael is using the Puddle Jumper as an external power source, not only for the Control Room and the Gateroom, but also using it to power the ... the stun bubble.

McKAY (rolling his eyes): OK, enough with the “stun bubble.”

ZELENKA: Well, that's an accurate description.

McKAY: It's a stupid description.

ZELENKA: It's a stun bubble!

(They would continue arguing but John interrupts.)

SHEPPARD: Guys! Guys!

McKAY: Look, the point is that if we wanna disable the stu ...

(He breaks off, exasperated. Radek looks at him triumphantly.)

McKAY: ... the forcefield, then we first need to disable the power from the Puddle Jumper.

ZELENKA: Either that, or we figure out a way to override the mainframe lockouts that Michael has in place.

SHEPPARD: All right, how's that goin'?

McKAY: It's ... not.

ZELENKA: Not yet.

SHEPPARD: Keep workin' on it. I'm gonna check on Lorne.


CONTROL ROOM ANNEXE. Ronon is straining to part the doors with his fingers. As he lets go with an angry grunt, Amelia starts to revive. He looks at her as she sits up.

DEX: Hey.

BANKS: What happened?

DEX: That Puddle Jumper that came through set off some kind of stun wave, knocked everybody out.

BANKS: All of Atlantis?

DEX: I don't know. Probably.

(He turns back to the doors and starts trying to part them again, but again fails. He turns back to Amelia, rubbing his shoulder, and sees her looking around at her unconscious colleagues.)

DEX: Don't worry. They'll wake up soon. Everyone has a different level of resistance.

(He walks across to her.)

DEX: Here.

(He holds a hand down to her and helps her to her feet.)

BANKS: Who would do this?

DEX: I don't know. That's what I wanna find out. Can you open that door?

BANKS: I think so.

DEX: Good. Do it.

(Taking some small tools out of her pocket, Amelia goes over to the doors' wall panel.)


CONTROL ROOM. Michael is watching one of the hybrids as he works on a console. He walks over to his lead hybrid at another console.

HYBRID: Still nothing.

(In Richard's office, Teyla is walking around slowly as she cradles Torren. Suddenly she notices that there is a radio earpiece on the desk. She reaches towards it but stops as Michael walks back in.)

MICHAEL: There was a time you understood me, Teyla, when your people brought me here and gave me the retrovirus that turned me into a human. You alone showed me compassion. You were the voice of conscience.

(She stares at him silently.)

MICHAEL: I've given this a great deal of thought, and I'm willing to return the favour. I would very much like for you to come with me. You can care for your child, and I will care for the both of you.

TEYLA: I would rather die.

MICHAEL: I promise I will not harm either of you, Teyla. You have to believe me.

TEYLA: I cannot trust the word of a murderer.

MICHAEL (angrily): Why can't you understand?

(Again Torren begins to fret at the loud noise.)

MICHAEL: I have become what I am out of necessity – the need to survive.

TEYLA: You became what you are out of vengeance.

MICHAEL: Do you not punish criminals in your world? Are they not brought to justice?

TEYLA: Is this justice to you? Killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people across this galaxy?

MICHAEL: They would not be dead had you not made me the subject of your vicious experiment! Their blood is on your hands!

(Teyla cradles Torren close to her as he grizzles quietly. Michael stares at her, desperate for her to understand his point of view, but soon realises that her look of hatred towards him means that she will never come round to his way of thinking. His face becomes hard again.)

MICHAEL: It's your choice. You can come with me and live, or remain here and die. Either way, I'm taking your child.


RODNEY'S LAB.

SHEPPARD: We need to blow up the Jumper.

(Rodney and Radek turn to him in surprise.)

SHEPPARD: We blow it up, we cut the power and disable the forcefield, right?

McKAY: Yes, great plan(!) I'm just – I'm not sure I'm entirely clear on how you intend on doing the actual blowing up.

SHEPPARD: Fire a drone at it.

ZELENKA: We can't. The Chair Room requires far more power than the auxiliary battery units can provide. I was barely able to bring enough power to this lab, let alone the few transporters I could bring online.

SHEPPARD: All right, then we'll take a Jumper.

McKAY: Again, I come back to my question of “How?” We have no way of getting to the Jumper Bay.

SHEPPARD: We'll take one from the underwater Bay – fly it up to the tower, fire a drone through the window and take out Michael's Jumper.

(Radek raises his head and turns to look at Rodney, whose eyes widen. John looks at their expressions.)

SHEPPARD: What?

McKAY: Uh, no-no-no, that's a good ... good ... good plan ... (he walks away, keeping his back to John) ... except I see one small problem with that plan, which is that, um, you know, is that the underwater Bay only has a couple of Jumpers in it.

SHEPPARD: Well, we only need one.

McKAY (awkwardly): Yes, well, the thing is, um ...

ZELENKA: ... both of them were severely damaged in the flood. Neither of them is able to fly.

SHEPPARD: That's two years ago, Radek. McKay already fixed 'em.

(Rodney turns and looks at him, embarrassed.)

SHEPPARD: Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!

McKAY: It was the next thing on my list.

SHEPPARD: You said you were gonna fix 'em!

McKAY: I know, and I was getting to it, I swear!

SHEPPARD (angrily): And you had two years!

McKAY: I was ... busy!

ZELENKA: Perhaps we should go down there and see if we can fix one of them.

SHEPPARD: That's a good idea, but I want you to stay here and try to override Michael's lockouts.

McKAY: Well, why don't I stay here and work on that? I mean, Zelenka can go with you to the Jumper Bay.

SHEPPARD: 'Cause I want you to come with me and fix those Jumpers like you said you were gonna do two years ago. Let's go.

(Rodney sighs and turns to Radek.)

McKAY: Please tell me there's a transporter.

ZELENKA: Yes ... Well, there's not one by the Puddle Jumper Bay, but there is one two levels down.

SHEPPARD: That'll do.

(He heads off. Rodney sighs.)

McKAY: Oh God!

(He follows John as Radek turns back to his console, smiling smugly.)


CONTROL ROOM ANNEXE. Amelia has prised off the wall panel cover and has poked a couple of tools into the crystals. The doors slide open.

DEX: Nice!

(A hybrid standing guard outside turns towards them. Ronon grabs him and hurls him into the room, slamming him face first against the wall. The hybrid, strengthened by Michael's manipulations of his body, is hardly affected and turns back and starts to fight. They trade blows, then the hybrid grabs Ronon around the waist, picks him up and bundles him out of the room before dropping him back onto his feet and punching him hard in the face twice. Ronon stumbles away, but suddenly Amelia runs up behind the hybrid and kicks him hard in the back. As he turns to face her, she kicks him in the stomach with one foot, then changes leg and kicks him again before spinning and kicking him a third time. As she continues kicking him backwards, Ronon races across the area, dropping to his knees to skid across the floor to pick up the stunner pistol that the hybrid has dropped. Amelia delivers yet another kick, knocking the hybrid backwards, then raises her fists ready for him as he pulls himself upward and heads towards her. Ronon stands up and fires at him, sending him tumbling to the floor unconscious. Bracing his hands on his knees as he catches his breath, Ronon looks up at Amelia admiringly.)

DEX: You can fight!

BANKS: Five years of kick boxing.

DEX: It's good to know!

WOOLSEY (offscreen): What happened?

(They turn and go back into the annexe to see Richard starting to sit up. Another member of the crew is also just beginning to revive.)


LATER. Holding the stunner pistol in front of him with both hands, Ronon makes his way cautiously towards the Gateroom. He works his way along the corridors running alongside the area in front of the Gate where the Jumper is parked, then ducks down at the steps near the rear of the ship as a hybrid comes out of it. The hybrid turns away in the opposite direction and Ronon carefully moves away again. He runs back to the Control Room Annexe where Amelia and another member of the crew are dragging the unconscious hybrid into the room. Everyone has now revived.

DEX: It's Michael and his hybrids. I counted three of them. I'm not sure how many more of them there are – probably not too many. They all had to fit in that Jumper.

WOOLSEY: Unless more came through on foot afterward.

(Ronon shrugs.)

BANKS: What do we do?

WOOLSEY: Try to get to the Armoury, come back and retake the Gateroom.

DEX: Sounds like a plan.

(He gestures to a couple of crewmen.)

DEX: You two come with us.

(He turns to Amelia.)

DEX: Banks, stay here with them. (He gestures to the rest of the crew.) Keep everyone calm. And, uh, if any more hybrids show up, just do what you did earlier.

(He, Richard and the two crewmen head off down the corridors. Just as they reach a closed door to the stairwell, they hear a voice nearby.)

HYBRID (offscreen): I must speak with you. It's urgent.

(Ronon looks at Richard.)

DEX: Stay with them.

(As Richard and the other two hang back, Ronon walks toward the sound of the voice. He turns the corner and finds himself underneath the bridge between the Control Room and Richard's office. Michael is speaking with his lead hybrid.)

MICHAEL: What is it?

HYBRID: We were finally able to decipher the encryption on the self destruct device.

MICHAEL: Good. Prepare the ship to leave. We'll arm the self destruct and switch the power back to Atlantis' systems a split second before we leave. The timing of the switch must be precise. I don't want to give them any opportunity to disarm the device.

HYBRID: I will make the calculations.

(They walk away and Ronon hurries back to Richard and the others.)

DEX: Change of plans. We're not going to the Armoury.

WOOLSEY: Why? What happened?

DEX: They armed the self destruct. Mr Woolsey, would you please head back to the others?

(He leads the other two men away.)


RICHARD'S OFFICE. Teyla, left alone in the office, takes the opportunity to snatch the earpiece from the desk. She puts it on and activates it.

TEYLA: Colonel Sheppard, this is Teyla. Can you hear me? ... John, this is Teyla, please respond.

(In the Control Room, Michael is standing by one of the consoles but ducks down instantly as he sees Ronon charging up the rear stairs. Ronon shoots one of the hybrids and then ducks down himself as another hybrid fires towards him. The shot hits one of the crewmen instead and he drops to the floor. Ronon runs across the Control Room as a hybrid chases towards him, grabs him and hurls him across the room. In the office, Teyla looks anxiously towards the sound of firing and shouting. Michael charges towards Ronon and they start to exchange blows.)

(In Rodney's lab, Radek is distracted from his work by the footage from the closed circuit cameras in the Control Room. Automatically, he activates his headset radio.)

ZELENKA: Colonel Shep...

(Remembering that it doesn't work, he snatches up his walkie talkie.)

ZELENKA: Colonel Sheppard! Ronon is in the Control Room. He's fighting with Michael.

SHEPPARD (from a corridor): Almost at the Jumper Bay. Keep us posted.

(He and Rodney break into a run.)

(In the office, Teyla walks nervously towards the doorway as Ronon and Michael fight. Ronon swings Michael back against a control panel, which explodes. Roaring, Michael strikes at Ronon, who hits him back and then picks him up and slams him back against the panel again before turning and hurling him across the floor. He sees Teyla standing on the bridge.)

DEX: Teyla, run!

(He and Michael continue to fight as Teyla turns and hurries away. The men trade a few more blows, then Ronon goes into a flying leap and punches Michael hard, sending him stumbling backwards onto the balcony over the Gateroom. Teyla runs down the corridor to be met by Richard.)

WOOLSEY: Teyla. Are you all right?

TEYLA: Yes. But Ronon needs our help. We need to get back up to the Control Room.

(A hybrid comes around the corner down the corridor and fires his stunner at them. They duck, then turn and run. The hybrid chases after them.)

(On the Control Room balcony, Ronon punches Michael to the floor. He quickly gets up onto all fours and aims a kick at Ronon, who ducks back to avoid it, taking him dangerously close to the railing of the balcony. Michael ferociously backhands him while he's still off balance, and the blow sends him over the railing and crashing onto the top of a small flight of steps below. He rolls down the steps and then is still.)


UNDERWATER JUMPER BAY (although obviously the Bay isn't filled with water like it was when we last saw it in "The Return, Part 2"). John and Rodney are in one of the Jumpers. John activates his walkie talkie.

SHEPPARD: Radek, tell us what's going on up there.

ZELENKA: I-I can't tell. Ronon is down. He might just be unconscious.

SHEPPARD: Tell me when he comes to. (He walks over to Rodney who is sitting in the co-pilot's seat.) What've we got?

McKAY: It's like I said. I mean, both the Jumpers are toast. This one's got a whole whack of problems, starting with zero power.

SHEPPARD: You said the other Jumper's got power, right?

McKAY: Yeah, but not much else. I mean, the drive pods won't extend, there's no drones.

SHEPPARD: And this one's got drones, so if we bring power over to this, we can get the drive pods working, right?

McKAY: OK, you want me to harvest parts from both Jumpers, cobble together a fix so one of 'em will work.

SHEPPARD: Is it possible?

McKAY: Doubtful.

SHEPPARD: But maybe?

McKAY: It's a long shot at best.

SHEPPARD (starting to leave the ship): Perfect. Get to it. What do you need, fifteen minutes?

(Sighing, Rodney reaches down to the underside of the console.)

McKAY: Great, just great(!)


ELSEWHERE. Near the Control Room, Richard and Teyla run to a transporter doorway and Richard swipes the wall panel. The doors don't open.

WOOLSEY: They must have locked out the transporters.

TEYLA: We need to get to the Control Room.

WOOLSEY: It's too dangerous. Not without weapons. Where's the nearest stairwell?

TEYLA: Round the corner. This way.

(She turns to run off but Richard calls after her.)

WOOLSEY: Let me lead.

(She slows down to allow him past and they run off. They run to a flight of stairs and start to head down them. Richard's feet impact the horizontal forcefield and he grimaces in pain, then tumbles forward through the field and down to the bottom of the stairs where he lies motionless. Teyla stares down at him in anguish for a moment, then turns and starts to run back the way she came, only to stop as she hears footsteps approaching around the corner. She backs away and heads towards the stairs again. A hybrid runs into view and trots to the top of the stairs, where he stops and looks down at the sight of Richard lying at the bottom. Frowning, he turns around and comes face to face with Teyla standing behind him. Before he can react, she kicks him hard in the stomach with one foot and sends him flying backwards down the stairs and through the forcefield. He crashes to the floor near to Richard.)

(Teyla hurries away and trots along the corridor [Torren appears to be surprisingly unfazed by all this jolting] but then has to stop and duck back around the corner as another hybrid comes into view. She walks quickly back the way she came, patting the wall panels as she goes in an attempt to find a doorway to the power conduits. Finally a panel swings open. Pulling the panel open, she unfolds the small metal ladder and climbs inside. Laying Torren carefully on the floor, she tugs the ladder back in and pushes the panels shut just before the hybrid walks around the corner. Picking up Torren, she cradles him, but he starts to cry. The hybrid stops and looks around, puzzled by the sound. Torren quietens again and the hybrid walks away.)


PUDDLE JUMPER. Rodney is in the rear compartment working on a panel. John is in the pilot's seat.

McKAY: OK, give her.

(John activates the controls and the ship powers up. He clenches his fist triumphantly.)

SHEPPARD: Drive pods are go!

McKAY: All right! Now we're gettin' somewhere! (He looks at his tablet.) I've got juice, I've got life support, I've got ... (his smile fades) ... oh, come on!

SHEPPARD: What?

McKAY: It's the weapons won't come online.

SHEPPARD: Why not?

McKAY: I don't know!

SHEPPARD: Well, figure it out. We need those drones.


CONTROL ROOM. Michael looks round from one of the consoles as two of his hybrids come up the rear stairs.

MICHAEL: Where is she?

HYBRID: We don't know. We searched everywhere.

MICHAEL: Are you telling me she just disappeared?

HYBRID: I'm saying that we searched every room and corridor within the stun field. We couldn't find her anywhere.

MICHAEL: She knows this city well. She's hiding somewhere ... (he picks up a laptop and hurls it angrily across the room) ... TOYING WITH ME!

HYBRID (nervously): We'll keep looking.

MICHAEL: No. I'll handle this.

HYBRID: What are you gonna do?

MICHAEL: Flush her out.

(He types on the console and an all-too-familiar alarm starts to sound.)


PUDDLE JUMPER. In the Puddle Jumper, Rodney's head snaps up at the sound.

McKAY: That's Atlantis' self destruct. Michael's gonna blow up the city!

SHEPPARD: How much time do we have?

(Rodney looks at his tablet.)

McKAY: He set it for ten minutes.

SHEPPARD: How much time do you need before you get those drones working?

McKAY: Well, if I can get them working at all, a lot more than ten minutes.

SHEPPARD (turning back to the controls): All right, forget about it.

McKAY: What are you – what are you doing?

SHEPPARD: I'm flying the Jumper; I'm crashing it into the tower.

McKAY: Crash it?

SHEPPARD: Look, it is our best chance of taking out Michael's Jumper.

McKAY: Not to mention taking out yourself!

SHEPPARD: I have crashed Jumpers into the tower before.

McKAY: Not like this, you haven't! Look, in addition to the weapons, the inertial dampeners are out. You'll need to impact Michael's Jumper with enough force to do some serious damage, which means a lot of speed when you hit that tower. Look, this is a suicide mission.


POWER CONDUIT. Michael's voice comes over the city's comms.

MICHAEL: Teyla. I know you can hear me. That alarm – if you're not aware – is Atlantis' self destruct device. I've armed it; set it for ten minutes. That is the amount of time you have to consider the offer I'm about to make you. If you will surrender yourself and your child to me, I'll disarm the device, sparing the lives of everyone on this base. If not, you, your baby and everyone else will die.


PUDDLE JUMPER. Rodney finishes tweaking the co-pilot's console.

McKAY: OK. You're good to go.

(He unplugs his tablet as John comes back over and gets into the pilot's seat.)

SHEPPARD: Make sure that strike team's ready to move as soon as that field drops.

McKAY: I will. You make sure you don't accelerate too fast coming out of the Jumper Bay. I mean, if you hit the gas too hard, you're gonna flatten like a pancake.

SHEPPARD: Right.

(Rodney sighs anxiously. John looks round at him.)

SHEPPARD: What?

McKAY: Well, it's just ... um ... what you're about to do is ...

SHEPPARD: Yeah. Well, it's not like it's the first time. How many suicide missions have I flown?

McKAY: I don't know. I lost count.

SHEPPARD: Right, well, there you go.

McKAY: All right. Well, you know ...

(He stands up and offers John his hand.)

McKAY: ... here's to many more.

(Just as they clasp hands, Radek's voice comes over the walkie talkie.)

ZELENKA: Rodney?

(Rodney releases John's hand and snatches out his radio.)

McKAY: Yeah, Radek, go ahead.

ZELENKA: I finally figured out how to override some of Michael's lockout codes.

McKAY: That's great. Can you shut down the self destruct?

ZELENKA: No. No-no-no, that will take a little bit more time. I have, however, managed to get the access doors to the Gateroom open.

McKAY: Well, that does us absolutely no good! I mean, the stun field's still in effect!

SHEPPARD (into his own radio): What about the transporter on the Gateroom level?

ZELENKA: Uh, no, no, I still don't have control of that either.

(Frustrated, John deactivates his radio.)

McKAY (into his radio): For cryin' out loud!

ZELENKA: I'm sorry! I'm doing the best I can! Michael has placed several highly encrypted codes in ...

McKAY (interrupting): Look, just ... What about the Gate shield? Can you lower it?

ZELENKA: Ye-yes. That I can do.

McKAY: Great.

(Deactivating his radio, he turns to John.)

McKAY: You don't have to do your kamikaze run.

SHEPPARD (turning his chair around to face him): Why not?

McKAY: Well, you just have to fly up to the tower, get in proximity, dial the D.H.D. to a random planet, we'll have Radek lower the Gate shield, allowing the vortex to obliterate Michael's Puddle Jumper – or most of it.

SHEPPARD: Now that's a good plan.

(He stands up and heads towards the rear of the ship.)

McKAY: Where are you going?

SHEPPARD: You're gonna fly it. That frees me up to lead the strike team.

McKAY: Yeah, but ...

SHEPPARD: Look, you said it yourself: it's simple enough. You just dial the Gate.

McKAY (nervously): I guess I can do that.

SHEPPARD: Go easy on the accelerator.

(He speaks into his walkie talkie.)

SHEPPARD: Radek, get ready to drop that shield on my mark.

(Grabbing his rifle, he hurries away. Looking anxious, Rodney gets into the pilot's seat.)


CONTROL ROOM.

HYBRID: We don't have much time. We need to leave this place.

MICHAEL (into the city's comms): Time is short, Teyla. I don't understand – I would think the choice is an easy one. If nothing else, consider your child. By remaining in hiding, you are sentencing him to die. What kind of mother would do such a thing?

(In the power conduit, Teyla looks down at Torren in anguish.)

MICHAEL: He has a chance to live. All of you do. Come with me, Teyla. Trust me. I will not harm either of you, and I will not harm Atlantis. You have my word.

(He waits, and finally Teyla's voice comes over the comms.)

TEYLA: Turn off the self destruct system.

MICHAEL: Teyla!

TEYLA: You want me to trust you? Then show me you mean what you say. Turn off the self destruct system and I will come with you.


STAIRWELL. In the stairwell, John and his strike team trot up the stairs, stopping below the area where they know the forcefield begins. Out in the ocean, Rodney's Puddle Jumper breaks the surface, rises into the air and heads slowly towards the central tower. Rodney activates his walkie talkie.

McKAY: All right, I'm in the air, approaching the central tower.

SHEPPARD: Copy that. Zelenka, you ready?

ZELENKA: Ready when you are.

(In the power conduit, Teyla speaks again.)

TEYLA: Michael, can you hear me?

HYBRID: Less than two minutes. We need to go – now.

MICHAEL: Yes, Teyla. I hear you. You disappoint me – so I will leave you to the fate you have chosen. But I'm not leaving alone. You should know that I've already collected your son's D.N.A. Cloning him will require additional time, delaying the implementation of my plan, but as you well know, I will not be deterred. Goodbye, Teyla.

(He turns and leaves the Control Room, followed by his hybrids, and they head down the stairs to the Gateroom. Walking along the side of the Puddle Jumper, he looks round and sees Ronon still lying unconscious nearby. As his hybrids head for the rear of the Jumper, he turns towards Ronon.)

HYBRID: What are you doing?

MICHAEL: Collecting one last prize.

(He pulls out a large knife.)


PUDDLE JUMPER.

McKAY: I'm in position, ready to dial.

SHEPPARD: All right, Radek, drop the shield.

(In the Control Room, Michael kneels down beside Ronon, puts his hand on his chest and moves his knife towards his throat. Just then the Gate shield groans as it drops. He looks round in surprise.)

ZELENKA: Shield's down! Go, Rodney!

(Rodney quickly begins to dial the Jumper's D.H.D. In the Gateroom, the Gate begins to dial out. Michael stands up, staring in horror.)

MICHAEL: No!

(The Gate kawhooshes, its vortex biting out the rear third of the Jumper, then closes down again. Nearby, doors open and John's strike team charges in. One of the hybrids shoots one of them, then the team opens fire and starts gunning down the others.)

(In the corridor, Teyla opens the doors to the power conduit and folds out the ladder.)

(In the Jumper, Rodney gets a report from Radek.)

ZELENKA: Stun field is neutralised.

McKAY: What about the self destruct? Is it disabled?

ZELENKA: Yes, yes. It shut off when the Jumper's power was cut.

McKAY (relieved): Good. I'm heading back. Go ahead and reboot the city's power.

ZELENKA: Yes, I'm already doing it.

(All around the city, the lights begin to come on. In the Gateroom, the lights come on. The strike force have taken cover behind the remains of the Jumper. One of the team tries to run up the stairs but is shot down. John peers around the side to see Michael up on the Control Room balcony. Michael aims his stunner towards him but John fires a burst of automatic gunfire at him and several bullets impact him. He stumbles backwards, then runs off, heading up the stairs towards the Jumper Bay. John runs forward, spotting Ronon lying on the floor nearby. He turns back to the rest of the team.)

SHEPPARD: Get a medic!

(He turns and chases off up the stairs, activating his walkie talkie as he goes.)

SHEPPARD: Close the Jumper Bay doors, Radek!


CONTROL ROOM ANNEXE. Teyla hurries in with Torren.

TEYLA: Amelia. Will you take care of Torren for me?

BANKS: Of course.

(She takes him from her. Teyla looks round at the other people in the room before turning back to Amelia.)

TEYLA: Make sure no-one leaves.

(She hurries out again.)


JUMPER BAY. Michael, holding his side in pain, runs into the Bay and towards the back of one of the Jumpers, only to stop and come back out to look upwards as the Bay doors iris close overhead. He turns and runs as John charges through the nearby doors and fires at him before chasing after him as he runs up another flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, doors open to reveal a small platform high above the Bay and circling the top of that tower (think walkway around the lantern of a lighthouse). Michael runs out onto the platform and looks around, realising that there's nowhere to go. John arrives moments later and walks cautiously towards the doors, aiming his rifle ahead of him. As he comes through the doors, Michael rushes towards him from the side and grabs the rifle, shoving it upwards with one hand as he grapples with John, pushes him off-balance and then throws him forward. John drops off the edge of the platform and onto a narrow concrete stanchion sticking out from the side of the tower. His momentum carries him off the side of the stanchion but he manages to grab it with both hands and dangles there helplessly for several seconds while Michael watches hopefully. John manages to swing his feet sideways and get a purchase on the edge of the tower, then levers himself upwards and crawls back up.

(Michael jumps down and heads towards him as he stands up. John punches him hard across the face twice, and they go hand to hand for a long time. After a while Michael grabs John's arm and flips him over and onto his back. He bends over him and pushes his hand hard against his throat. John reaches up and grabs his arm where he was shot, squeezing it hard. As Michael screams and releases his throat to try and pull his hand free, John flips his legs up, wraps them around Michael's neck and flips him over his head to the floor. They both spring up again and John charges at him, but Michael steps aside and cuffs him across the face as he goes, then punches him down before picking him up by the back of his shirt and slamming his head down onto the concrete. As John reels from the impact, Michael hauls him upright and slams him back against the wall, kicking him in the stomach and then punching him twice in the face. He pulls his arm back to deliver another punch, but then Teyla is there and seizes his arm. He gasps in shock at the sight of her and she punches him hard across the face, then kicks him in the stomach. The blows swing him back towards John, who gets in his own punch, which sends him back towards Teyla who delivers another punch. He stumbles backwards and falls over the edge of the platform, managing to catch on to the edge of it with his fingers. Now he's the one dangling into space.)

(Teyla looks down at him as he struggles to pull himself upwards, but he has nowhere to put his feet and he is too weakened by the bullets and the fight to pull himself up. Teyla steps closer to the edge of the platform, looking down at him steely-eyed. He strains to pull himself upwards, then she steps forward and kicks his left hand off the ledge. He cries out in anguish.)

MICHAEL: Teyla!

(Slumped against the wall behind her, John looks up at his team mate but knows better than to interfere. She looks down at Michael for a moment longer, then kicks his right hand off the ledge. Silently he plummets downward towards the city below and disappears from view. Teyla gazes downwards, no sign of regret on her face.)


DAY TIME. INFIRMARY. Richard, his arm in a sling and with a cut above his right eye, walks in and goes over to Ronon's bed.

WOOLSEY: How's Doctor Keller's most cantankerous patient?

DEX: You've gotta be kidding me. You get released and I've gotta stay here another day?

WOOLSEY: Because I only fell down a flight of stairs. You, my friend, were hurled from a much greater height. You're lucky you only suffered a concussion and didn't break your neck.

DEX: Ah, I'm fine.

WOOLSEY: I know you are, but listen to the doctor. Anyway, I just wanted to drop by and commend you for your exemplary work. Your courage in the face of danger continues to amaze and – dare I say – inspire me.

(Ronon narrows his eyes at him for a moment, then decides to accept the compliment.)

DEX: Thanks.

WOOLSEY: Get some rest. And don't worry – your team's not going anywhere without you.

(He turns to leave.)

DEX: That reminds me.

(Richard turns back to him.)

DEX: I know Michael attacking the city isn't really a mission, but, uh ...

(He reaches to his bedside table and picks up his digital recorder, offering it to Richard.)

DEX: ... I filed a report anyways.

WOOLSEY: Oh! Well, splendid.

(Smiling, he takes the recorder from him.)

WOOLSEY: Thank you.

(Walking away, he activates the recorder.)

DEX's VOICE: Mission report. Michael invaded Atlantis, tried to blow it up. We stopped him. End of report.

(Smiling, Richard shakes his head ruefully.)


EAST PIER CORRIDOR. The red and yellow radio controlled cars are standing side by side on the floor as John and Rodney prepare their controls.

McKAY: Take a good long look, 'cause soon you're gonna see nothing but tail lights.

SHEPPARD: Nice try, speed racer.

(They activate the cars, which head off down the corridor. The yellow one immediately takes the lead. Rodney cackles triumphantly. As they reach the side corridor, Teyla walks into view carrying Torren who is wide awake and goggling around at everything. The boys instantly throw their cars into a 180 degree spin to stop them.)

McKAY: Whoa!

(She smiles as the boys run towards her.)

McKAY: I'm sorry! Sorry! We were just, you know ...

TEYLA: Who is winning?

SHEPPARD and McKAY (simultaneously): I am.

McKAY: Yeah(!) (He looks at Torren.) Still colicky, huh?

TEYLA: He was awake all day, refused to take a nap.

SHEPPARD: Well, it's not surprising. He got a full night's sleep.

TEYLA: Yes, it's remarkable. He slept through the entire ordeal. He hasn't slept through a whole night in, um ... (she thinks, then laughs ruefully) ... ever.

McKAY: Well, he can rest easy now, 'cause Michael's finally out of the picture.

TEYLA: Unfortunately there will be somebody else to take his place. Of this I am certain.

SHEPPARD: Well, he's got SuperMom watching his back. If you ask me, he's in good hands.

(She smiles at him. John steps forward and talks to the baby.)

SHEPPARD: Torren, you wanna watch me kick Rodney's ass?

McKAY (laughing sarcastically): Actually, you may wanna cover the child's eyes, because this could get ugly.

(Brandishing his controls dramatically, he turns to face the cars as Teyla laughs.)

SHEPPARD: Are you ready?

McKAY: Yeah.

SHEPPARD: One ...

McKAY: Mm-hmm.

SHEPPARD: Two ...

(He starts his car and it races off down the corridor.)

McKAY: Hey, hey!

(He sends his own car off in pursuit as Teyla continues to laugh happily.)