Dr. Daniel Jackson has spent the last three weeks on an archaeological dig with SG-11. Heand his friend, Dr. Robert Rothman, study artifacts uncovered on an ancient world, and theyconclude that the planet -- P3X-888 -- was likely the original homeworld of the Goa'uldparasites. The symbiotes they uncover have been fossilized for hundreds of thousands ofyears.But all is not dead on this world. A large creature rushes from the woods nearby, killingone man and wounding several others. He renders Daniel unconscious, and drags him off intothe woods.
Hours later, Rothman makes it back to the Stargate and returns to Earth, where he reportsthe attack. With General Hammond's permission, Colonel O'Neill and the rest of SG-1 mounta rescue operation to find their comrade. SG-2, led by Major Coburn, accompanies them.
Daniel awakens and finds himself bound by the Unas. Though he fears he is about to becomethe evening meal, Daniel tries to communicate with the creature. He is a primative Unas, though, and does not seem to speak any intelligible language -- though he does engage in aritual chant. Daniel theorizes by his appearance -- less pronounced chin and facial bones -- that this Unas is a subspecies of the Unas previously encountered by SG-1("Thor's Hammer," "Demons"), andperhaps a juvenille.
With Coburn's men guarding the Stargate, SG-1 and additional men from the SGC trek the three hours to the dig site where Daniel was taken. With Teal'c tracking the Unas, theyproceed -- but are unable to contact SG-11 by radio.
Daniel continues to try and communicate with his captor, and learns that his name is(probably) Chaka. The beast is startled to hear Jackson say his own name. Eventually, theystop to rest. Daniel takes a drink of water from a lake, and the Unas sets down the ropeby which he has Daniel. Jackson sees the opportunity and runs.
Chaka catches up to him soon, and Daniel flees from him into the lake's cold waters. Hishands bound, he carefully swims across -- but Chaka runs around and is waiting for him onthe other side. Jackson stands up in the water, looking for a way out -- and sees a creatureswimming quickly toward him. He flees toward Chaka, who saves his life by grasping theGoa'uld symbiote as it leaps from the waters at Daniel. Chaka kills the creature, and marksDaniel's face with its blood.
Though Jackson and Rothman had believed the Goa'uld to have left this world many thousandsof years ago, he now sees that the parasites still thrive in the primordial waters of thisworld.
O'Neill's men find Major Hawkins, commander of SG-11, just staring off into space. He seemsto be in shock at what has happened, and at the terrible tradgedy that his men are dead. Hejoins their ranks in searching for Daniel.
Jackson, meanwhile, has been taken into a cave by the Unas. Chaka roasts the Goa'uld headon a stick, and gives it to Daniel to eat. Daniel refuses, and the two engage in a game of"toss the symbiote head" as Chaka insists that he eat. Finally, Jackson takes food from hisvest pocket and offers it to Chaka. The two are beginning to establish a relationship.
Teal'c discovers the lake teeming with Goa'uld parasites, and realizes that anyone among them may have been taken as a host. He explains this to O'Neill, insisting that all of themput down their weapons. O'Neill orders the team to do so.
O'Neill binds the hands and feet of everyone present, and then Teal'c binds his. Teal'c isthe only one they can be certain was not taken by a Goa'uld, since a symbiote cannot blendwith a Jaffa (he already has a larval symbiote within him). Teal'c leaves them, intendingto find and rescue Daniel on his own.
Hawkins soon breaks his bonds -- he has been taken as a Goa'uld host, and thus possesses exceptional strength. He picks up a weapon and moves to shoot Colonel O'Neill -- butreceives two blasts in the back from Teal'c's staff weapon. Teal'c had been watching,knowing that anyone possessed by a symbiote would be able to free himself.
Teal'c frees O'Neill, Carter and the others -- but finds one more Goa'uld among them. Dr.Rothman has also managed to free himself, and he overpowers Teal'c and shoots CaptainGriff with the staff weapon. O'Neill riddles Rothman with bullets, killing him.
In the cave, Daniel has examined pictographs drawn on the cave wall. He understands nowthat he is not simply the evening meal; Chaka is a young warrior going through a tribal rite of passage. To prove himself as an adult warrior, he must capture a beast (in thiscase, Daniel), bring him back to the tribe, and kill him.
Chaka pins Jackson to the wall and scrapes his face, spreading his blood on the cave wall.Daniel recognizes that he has been marked for death.
The group proceeds on and locates Daniel, as Chaka brings him before the leader of histribe. But with O'Neill and Carter's weapons trained on the Unas, Daniel tells them not toshoot. Chaka, he believes, is pleading with the tribe's alpha male for his life. He doesnot wish to kill Daniel, but to bring him into his clan. The two have become friendsthrough their experiences.
The alpha male finally refuses, and rushes at Daniel. O'Neill and Carter shoot him -- whichslows him down, but does not stop him. Chaka attacks the alpha male, though, beating himto death. The others in the tribe look on, and recognize Chaka as the new alpha male.
He invites Daniel to stay with them, but he must decline.
