Transcript by Callie Sullivan

DESTINY. In a room now designed the Infirmary, T.J. Johansen is holding a stethoscope to Colonel Everett Young's back as he breathes deeply for her. She listens, then takes the stethoscope out of her ears and puts it down. Young closes his eyes as she gently strokes the back of his head for a moment and then walks around to face him. She picks up a medical flashlight and shines it into his eyes, then puts it back into her case. Young gazes at her appreciatively.

YOUNG (softly): You are so beautiful.

(She looks into his eyes, upset.)

JOHANSEN: Don't.

(He takes her hand and strokes it gently.)

YOUNG: I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you.

(She looks away for a moment, then looks into his eyes again. After a moment she leans forward and they begin to kiss.)

SCOTT's VOICE (faintly, hazily): Colonel.

(Young wakes up and opens his eyes. He has fallen asleep on the sofa in his quarters. Matthew Scott is standing at the open doorway.)

SCOTT: Sorry, sir. They're waiting.

(Shortly afterwards Young and Scott walk into a room where Camille Wray and Hunter Riley are sitting at a small table. Two communication stones and the activation box are on the table.)

YOUNG: Sorry.

WRAY: We're late.

(Young sits down opposite Camille, who lifts up her stone and places it on the box. Young picks up his own stone and does the same, then looks around as he arrives in a new location - the Homeworld Command lab at the Pentagon. He is wearing the uniform of someone called Hamilton. Opposite him, Camille is also adjusting to being in a new body, that of a military woman called Baldwin. Cameras show the real Hamilton and Baldwin on a screen nearby. Colonel David Telford is standing near the door with his arms folded sternly.)

TELFORD: You're late.

YOUNG: It's my fault.

EARTH. Shortly afterwards, Telford leads the other two into a conference room. A large group of scientists, military people and I.O.A. representatives are gathered in the room together with General Jack O'Neill.

O'NEILL: Thanks for joining us, Colonel.

YOUNG: Sorry, sir. I wasn't expecting a party.

TELFORD: We may have figured out a way to get you home.

(Young turns and stares at Camille, whose face is as startled as his own, then both of them turn to look at O'Neill. He smiles.)

O'NEILL: Surprise!

LATER. Young and Camille have sat down with the others. A good looking young male scientist, casually dressed, has been explaining the plan.

WILLIAMS: Now, the power flow issues are obviously the biggest variable, but our simulations are encouraging. It's time to take it to the next level.

(Apparently the briefing has been going on for some time, because O'Neill has almost nodded off, but he shakes himself awake now.)

O'NEILL: Any questions?

WRAY: Sounds dangerous.

(A male I.O.A. representative speaks up.)

STROM: The I.O.A. fully supports the implementation of this plan.

TELFORD: I've seen it for myself: the situation on board is dire and justifies the risk.

YOUNG: Look, I'm not gonna pretend to understand everything you guys are talking about, but it sounds like there's a chance that this plan could end badly.

TELFORD: You wanna get those people home. So do we.

YOUNG (indicating the scientists): I'm just saying maybe these guys can do a little more calculating.

WILLIAMS: The fact is, we are at the stage where a practical attempt is the only way to get any more hard data.

TELFORD: The goal is to save lives.

STROM: And we don't want to put the ship at risk.

WILLIAMS (to Young): All we're asking is that you try.

YOUNG: Well, this is something I would have to take up with everyone on board.

O'NEILL: Colonel. (He stands.) My office.

(Young stands and the two of them go to Jack's office and close the door.)

O'NEILL: Look, if it makes you feel any better, Colonel Carter saved my ass dozens of times, using all kinds of whacky science I didn't understand.

YOUNG: Well, I can't force people to do something they don't wanna do.

O'NEILL: You're in command of that ship! It's not a democracy.

YOUNG: I'm sorry, sir. It's just ... it's not that simple.

O'NEILL: Yes! Yes, it is! A United States senator is dead. His daughter and dozens of other people are trapped a billion light years away from home. The President wants it done.

YOUNG: Sir, with all due respect ...

O'NEILL: You're being given a direct order, Colonel.

YOUNG: And I'm telling you that, regardless of the consequences to my standing, I'm going to take the situation under advisement. I will let you know my decision tomorrow.

PARK. Camille and I.O.A. representative Strom have left the Pentagon and gone to a park. Strom has bought a hot dog from a stand and is squirting mustard onto it. He turns to Camille who is still wearing Baldwin's uniform but has added a cap on her head.

STROM: Are you sure you don't want anything?

WRAY: Oh, I'm fine.

(Strom gives some money to the hotdog vendor.)

STROM: Thank you.

(He puts his hand onto Camille's back and gently steers her away from the stand.)

STROM: Must be nice to get out, I imagine.

WRAY (smiling): It is.

STROM: Everyone's very impressed with how you're holding up under the circumstances.

WRAY: I'm doing my best.

STROM: You're our eyes and ears now. Your life - certainly the lives of everyone aboard - is the first priority, but you have to understand there's a lot at stake here.

WRAY: You passed me up for promotion four times. I never really got a straight answer as to why.

STROM: You are a highly trusted, well respected member of this organisation. You would not have been on Icarus in the first place if you weren't.

WRAY: The point is: I know there's no way in hell you'd be talking to me right now if you had a choice.

(She stops and faces him.)

WRAY: So, please, can we just cut to the chase?

(Strom grins for a moment, then looks at her seriously.)

STROM: Make this happen.

WRAY: I'm not a scientist. How can I do that?

STROM: You have influence. The people on board need to believe it'll get them home.

WRAY: Even if, in reality, it can get us all killed.

STROM: Not what I've been told.

WRAY: Why are you pushing so hard?

STROM: If this works, we think we might be able to use the data to re-engineer the process in one of our ships here in this galaxy.

WRAY: Dial a Gate to Destiny without an Icarus-type planet.

STROM: Yes - and get the team that was supposed to go in the first place back on board. Now that we know where the ninth chevron leads, this mission has taken on even more importance.

WRAY: Why isn't Rush here?

STROM: Ah. We're not convinced Rush wants to come home.

(Camille takes that thought in for a moment.)

STROM: And do I have to remind you how much you have to gain personally in all of this?

WRAY (smiling at him a little bitterly): Assuming I live.

DESTINY. In the Mess, Eli Wallace is sitting at a table with T.J., Scott, Ronald Greer and Chloe Armstrong.

WALLACE: The ship doesn't have enough power to dial back to Earth and - as we've seen recently - when the ship runs out of juice, it finds a star and refills its tanks. Now, theoretically, at that time the full power of the star should be available to us.

GREER: Star power.

WALLACE: Yeah. It's brilliant! ... If we can somehow use the ship as a conduit and channel the star's energy into the Gate as we dial.

SCOTT: That would do it.

WALLACE: The problem is the "whole ship as a conduit" part.

JOHANSEN: Well, does anyone know when the ship will run out of power again?

WALLACE: It's tough to tell. Based on current usage, probably gonna be several months.

(At a nearby table, Riley and Adam Brody have been listening to the conversation.)

BRODY: Not if we can drain the power faster.

WALLACE: Right! That's the part of the plan that sounded a little vague.

RILEY: It's possible.

SCOTT: So you guys are saying you're all for this?

BRODY: Let's see what Rush says.

CONTROL ROOM. Young and Camille have returned to their own bodies and are explaining the plan to Nicholas Rush.

RUSH: Given how little we know about this ship ...

WRAY: Can't we at least try it, and abort if something goes wrong?

RUSH: Well, unfortunately, the "something goes wrong" part would most likely mean the ship exploding.

YOUNG: Not according to the people who came up with the idea.

RUSH: Well, if only all science was that definitive, Colonel. You're just gonna have to choose who you wanna believe.

LATER. Chloe and Eli are in the communication room with Riley. There are three stones on the table, and a Kino is hovering over the table. Eli is looking nervously at the stones.

ARMSTRONG: Nothing to worry about. Doesn't hurt at all.

WALLACE (nonchalantly): Do I look worried?

ARMSTRONG: A little.

WALLACE (smiling ruefully): Just trying to figure out what I'm gonna say to my mom.

RILEY: My family thinks I'm on sabbatical in Africa.

WALLACE: So, when it's time to come back, what do I do? Click my heels three times?

RILEY: There's no way for you to disconnect the transmission yourself. The base needs to be manually shut down. There's a device on the other side as well, and turning either off will sever the connection.

WALLACE: Pretty cool.

RILEY: Easiest way to swap consciousness with someone across the universe I've ever seen!

(Young comes into the room.)

YOUNG: What's with the Kino?

WALLACE: First time using the stones. Very exciting(!)

(Young nods and the three of them pick up their stones and put them onto the base. The footage from the Kino still shows Young, Eli and Chloe standing there but their bodies have been taken over by Telford, Doctor Williams and a young female scientist, Doctor McCormack. Williams looks down at Eli's clothes in distaste.)

WILLIAMS: Any chance I could get something else to wear?

(On Earth, Eli and Chloe look down at their new bodies in surprise but Young is immediately comfortable in Telford's body, having been in it several times before. Eli turns and looks at a nearby screen showing the camera footage of the room. He waves his hand and watches as, on the screen, Williams does likewise. He points at the screen, laughing.)

WALLACE: Wow! Check me out!

(He turns away from the screen.)

WALLACE: OK, this is weird.

(He looks at Chloe nervously.)

WALLACE: The people we're in can't hear us, can they?

ARMSTRONG: No.

WALLACE: I wonder what they're doing with our bodies?

(He chuckles, but Young looks at him in concern, as if it has only just dawned on him what Telford might be doing in his own body.)

DESTINY. Telford is waiting for Scott to bring Doctor Rush to him, and the two of them now dutifully arrive.

RUSH: Colonel Telford.

TELFORD: I'll just get right to it. I've been ordered to enact the rescue plan put forward by the I.O.A.

RUSH: Rescue plan?

SCOTT: I don't understand.

TELFORD: I brought Doctors McCormack and Williams with me. (To Rush) I believe you know them.

RUSH: Yes.

TELFORD: I've already set them to work.

SCOTT: What about Colonel Young?

TELFORD: Effective immediately, I'm assuming command of the Destiny.

EARTH. HOMEWORLD COMMAND. Young is in Jack's office.

YOUNG: You replaced me?

O'NEILL: For now.

YOUNG: Without waiting to hear my answer?

O'NEILL: You were going to say ...?

YOUNG: Give us more time.

O'NEILL: Then you were going to be disobeying a direct order.

YOUNG: Sir ...

O'NEILL: Look, I offered you command of the expedition. You were my first choice. But you turned it down. Your exact words, as I recall, were, "I don't think it's still in me, sir."

YOUNG: Well, I'm there now, sir, whether I like it or not - whether anyone likes it. This is wrong and you know it. I spent most of my career looking up to you because you always did the right thing even if it meant disregarding the chain of command.

O'NEILL: Colonel. Don't think I like this.

LATER. Young has explained the situation to Eli and Chloe.

WALLACE: They can't do this to us, can they?

YOUNG: Well, for now, they have. Look, I think it comes down to the fact that they don't trust Rush - and the truth is, I can't blame them.

ARMSTRONG: What are we supposed to do?

YOUNG: They've given you permission to see your families as long as you guys follow the rules.

WALLACE: Look, I hate to go there, but what happens if they screw up and the ship explodes?

YOUNG: Most likely we will die here, too.

(Eli and Chloe share a concerned look.)

YOUNG: Look, apparently they're just doing some preliminary testing, information gathering, nothing too crazy.

WALLACE: So what you're saying is: live it up while we can(!)

(He smiles nervously.)

DESTINY MESS. Scott and Greer are sitting at a table eating a meal. Telford walks in with two marines and heads over to their table. Scott raises his eyebrows warningly at Greer, who doesn't even need to turn around to realise who has come in and what he wants.

GREER (without turning around): Colonel Telford, I presume.

TELFORD: Sergeant.

(Greer stands up and turns to face him.)

LATER. CORRIDOR. Shortly afterwards, Telford walks along the corridor followed by Greer and his military escort. Telford reaches a door and activates the wall panel to open it. Greer strolls into the small room on the other side, then turns to face the colonel.

TELFORD (to the escort): He can use the facilities, that's it.

(He closes the doors.)

LATER. Telford and the scientists are explaining the plan to the rest of the crew. Doctor Williams has changed into what he considers to be more acceptable clothes (though it's not clear where he got them from).

RILEY: And what if the power flow can't be controlled?

WILLIAMS: Well, if there are any dangerous fluctuations, we just shut it down and allow the ship to continue powering up.

BRODY (sounding a little dubious): Early tests show it should work.

TELFORD: We're not going to be putting you in any more danger than you're already in just being here.

McCORMACK: From what I gather, supplies are desperately short.

WILLIAMS: And, given the condition of the ship, it could experience a fatal breakdown at any time.

WRAY: No-one is trying to alarm you unduly, but we can't continue to scrape by, barely surviving.

TELFORD: Obviously we can't say for sure that this is going to get you home, but the best minds that we have are working on this and I'm sure you'll agree ...

(He looks around the assembled crowd and locks eyes with Rush who is standing at the doorway a little distance away from everyone else.)

TELFORD: ... it's well worth pursuing.

(Without a word, Rush turns and leaves the room.)

LATER. OBSERVATION DECK. Telford walks in and finds Rush sitting at a table working on a laptop.

TELFORD: Doctor Rush.

RUSH: Colonel.

(Telford walks forward and looks at the F.T.L. vortex rushing past the front window.)

TELFORD: It is spectacular, isn't it?

RUSH: Yes.

(Telford turns and walks over to him.)

TELFORD: If this plan has any chance of succeeding ...

RUSH: ... which it doesn't. Control over most of the ship's operational systems is limited at best. Navigation, propulsion and many others have been locked out entirely by a master code which we have had no luck in breaking.

TELFORD: Thought you might wanna know we've come up with a way of draining the power.

RUSH: Yes, so I heard. Many of the power conduits have been badly damaged, and firing the ship's weapons system - without either repairing them or isolating the damaged areas - would be prohibitively dangerous.

TELFORD: Yeah, that's what we're working on right now. Just wanted to keep you informed.

(He walks away.)

EARTH. Eli is sitting in a car with Major Green. They have parked outside Eli's house.

WALLACE: She's not gonna understand. She can barely follow an episode of "Star Trek"!

GREEN: You don't have to tell her.

(Eli thinks about it, then goes to the front door of the house and knocks. His mother opens the door and looks at the figure of Doctor Williams standing there.)

MRS. WALLACE: Yes?

WALLACE (nervously): Hi. Uh ...

MRS. WALLACE: Can I help you?

WALLACE: My name is ...

(He hesitates, wanting for a moment to give his real name, but then he decides not to go that route.)

WALLACE: ... Philip. Philip Fry. I work with your son.

MRS. WALLACE: You know Eli?

WALLACE: We've recently become very close

ARMSTRONG HOUSE. Chloe has apparently been at the house for some time and is now sitting on the side of her bed looking sadly at the reflection of Doctor McCormack in the full length mirror in front of her. Her mother comes to the open bedroom door and knocks. Chloe looks round at her and her mother smiles and comes into the room. She has clearly adjusted to the situation much better than last time we saw her, even though this is a second new person saying that she's her daughter. Chloe, on the other hand, shakes her head sadly.

ARMSTRONG: It doesn't feel real. It's like a bad dream.

(Her mother sits down on the bed beside her.)

MRS. ARMSTRONG: You're here. If this is the only way, I can live with that.

ARMSTRONG: I can't stay this way forever, Mom.

MRS. ARMSTRONG: I know. Everyone's working very hard to get you home.

ARMSTRONG: I'm trying to get through this, I am.

(Her mother takes her hand.)

MRS. ARMSTRONG: Your father always used to say ...

ARMSTRONG: ... "One step at a time." I miss him so much.

(Her mother puts her arm around her shoulder and rests her head against Chloe's.)

MRS. ARMSTRONG: Me too.

WALLACE HOUSE. Eli is sitting at the kitchen table. His mother brings him a can of Coke and a glass and sits down opposite him.

WALLACE: Oh, awesome! Thanks!

MRS. WALLACE: Eli drinks four or five of those a day.

WALLACE: Actually, he quit.

MRS. WALLACE: Really?! I find that hard to believe!

WALLACE: He's on a bit of a crash diet. (He smiles at the irony of what he's about to say.) You may not recognise him next time you see him.

MRS. WALLACE: When will that be? Do you know?

WALLACE: I'm sorry. I'm not sure. Really getting into shape, though!

MRS. WALLACE: Can I get you something to eat?

WALLACE: Uh, Eli said you make the most amazing chocolate chip cookies.

MRS. WALLACE (smiling): He told you that?

WALLACE: Oh yeah! It's crazy how close you get in such a short time. Sometimes it's like he's just ... (he gestures towards his head) ... right up there in my brain!

(He laughs nervously.)

MRS. WALLACE: Why don't I make some? You could take 'em back with you.

(She gets up and walks into the kitchen.)

WALLACE: He also said you make a mean schnitzel! ... But I don't wanna put you out.

MRS. WALLACE (putting on an apron): No, I'm happy to do it. You know, I thought he'd be calling more often.

WALLACE: Here, let me help you.

(He goes into the kitchen, hoping to distract her from her thought. She starts to get bowls and utensils out.)

MRS. WALLACE: So tell me: this work you're doing - I know you can't tell me much about it.

WALLACE: I can tell you that it's important. In fact, it could change the world as we know it.

MRS. WALLACE: Really? My Eli? Not that I'm surprised - don't get me wrong. He's my son - of course I think he's special, but he was always so bright, so different, but he just ... he never seemed to apply himself.

(As she has been talking, Eli has opened one of the kitchen cupboards behind her and taken out two large ceramic jars. Neither of them has a label showing what they contain but of course he already knows. He opens the second one as, unaware of what he's doing, Mrs. Wallace continues talking.)

MRS. WALLACE: Some of it was my fault.

WALLACE: Oh, no. He doesn't blame you at all - for anything. I'm sorry if this is personal, but he told me you're not well.

(She turns and looks at him.)

MRS. WALLACE: Did he?

(Elli nods. She looks at him for a moment longer, then her eyes drop to the jar he's holding. He has taken out some of the chocolate chips from the jar and is holding them in his other hand.)

WALLACE: Huh! (He tips the chips back into the jar.) Lucky guess!

(He laughs in embarrassment as his mother frowns in confusion. He puts the jar down and tries to bluff his way through the awkwardness.)

WALLACE: Eggs are in the fridge, right?!

(He goes over to the fridge to collect eggs and butter.)

MRS. WALLACE: I didn't think he ever talked to anyone about it.

WALLACE: He asked me to make sure the Air Force was making good on their promise to help you.

MRS. WALLACE: To be honest, the whole thing makes me a little anxious. I ... I really just wanna know Eli's OK.

WALLACE (softly): He is.

(She turns and looks at him.)

MRS. WALLACE: You make sure you tell him I'm proud of him.

(Eli nods, fighting to control himself and not break down in tears.)

WALLACE: I will.

(She turns away, also trying not to cry.)

MRS. WALLACE: I'm sorry. I ... it's just, it all happened so suddenly ... and I ... I miss him.

WALLACE (sadly): He misses you too.

DESTINY. Somewhere on the ship, Brody and Riley are in the spacesuits and are working on repairing some broken pipes. Brody backs away from the area he was working on and looks across to Riley, who is welding.

BRODY: That's it for me.

RILEY: I'm almost done over here.

(Rush is sitting in the Control Room listening to their conversation as Telford, Williams and McCormack come in.)

TELFORD: You're stalling.

RUSH: I'm doing things the way they need to be done.

WILLIAMS: Now, we've isolated power to forty percent of the operational weapons system and it should be good enough to get us a read on our power reduction capability.

(Rush shakes his head. Telford leans closer to him.)

TELFORD: The next time we drop out of F.T.L.

RUSH: No, look, look, this ship is old and damaged. The computers aren't registering half the things they're supposed to. I want manual confirmation before activating any system that comprehensive.

TELFORD: Over eighty percent of this ship is inaccessible without spacesuits right now. With only two suits, doing it your way could take months.

RUSH (firmly): If that's what it takes.

(Out in the ship, Brody and Riley close a bulkhead between them and the area they were just working in.)

RILEY: Doctor Rush, we're ready here.

RUSH (over radio): OK, sending power through.

(Riley and Brody peer through the small window in the bulkhead. A few seconds later steam begins to vent from the pipe that Riley had been welding. An alarm sounds in the Control Room.)

RUSH: Riley?

RILEY: Looks like a coolant leak.

BRODY: I thought you got it.

RILEY: Yeah, so did I.

(In the Control Room the alarm is still sounding as Rush types busily on the console.)

RUSH: There's a problem. Power's backing up in the link.

TELFORD: Shut it down.

RUSH: I'm trying. It's not working.

WILLIAMS: The problem is contained. It's restricted to that corridor.

RUSH: That's not the point.

TELFORD: How big an explosion are we talking about?

(In the corridor, Riley hits the panel to open the bulkhead.)

RILEY: I'm going in. I can seal it.

(Brody grabs him and tries to hold him back.)

BRODY: Are you crazy? You can't go in there!

RILEY (shoving him aside): We're on the hull!

(He steps over the threshold and hits the panel to close the bulkhead again. Brody runs to the window and watches as he gets to work.)

(In the Control Room, Telford angrily demands information.)

TELFORD: Rush!

RUSH: We're in F.T.L. If it punctures the hull, disrupts the shield at all even for a microsecond, then the entire ship could be in jeopardy.

(In the corridor, Riley is trying to weld the pipe closed. A spark hits the coolant and the gas ignites, sending Riley flying across the corridor and crashing hard into the opposite wall.)

BRODY (anguished): RILEY!!

(The fire dies down and Riley can be seen lying on the floor, the inside of his helmet visor covered in blood.)

LATER. Brody is sitting on the floor outside the Infirmary. Rush is standing nearby. T.J. is inside the room and is tending to Riley's unconscious body. She has just finished bandaging his head and putting him onto a drip. She comes out to report to the men. Brody scrambles up and looks at her anxiously.

JOHANSEN: It's, um, it's gonna be touch and go.

LATER. MESS HALL. In the Mess, Rush is sitting at a table and eating his meal. Telford comes in and sits down opposite him.

TELFORD: We're proceeding with the test next time we drop out of F.T.L.

RUSH: Colonel, the man nearly died.

TELFORD: You're the one who put him in jeopardy.

RUSH: I was trying to make sure you didn't kill us all.

TELFORD: I'm not going to.

RUSH: OK, I accept responsibility for what happened, but you forced the situation, and activating the weapons system the way you're proposing is completely reckless.

TELFORD: Come on, Rush. These people are in danger just being here, evidenced by what just happened. The ship is falling apart. They're the wrong people for this. We need to get them home.

RUSH: Yeah, well, there's a right way of doing that.

TELFORD: We are doing it the right way.

RUSH: That's a matter of opinion.

TELFORD: Look, I know that we've had our differences in the past ...

RUSH: Yeah. You wanted me off the expedition team. I remember.

TELFORD: It was my duty to express concern for how everyone else felt about you.

RUSH: So are you suggesting that my judgement is now somehow clouded? Or is it that I'm just plain lying?

TELFORD: Admit it, Rush. After everything that's happened, you're afraid they're not going to let you come back.

(They lock gazes for a long moment, then Rush stands up and leaves the room.)

EARTH. Eli is either in a hotel room or has been given temporary use of an apartment. He is standing side-on to a full length mirror on the wall, looking into the mirror and admiring Doctor Williams' much slimmer and fitter body. His mobile phone rings and he picks it up and answers it.

WALLACE: Hello.

ARMSTRONG (over phone): Hey, it's me.

(Eli grins happily.)

WALLACE: How's it going?

ARMSTRONG: Uh, OK. How'd your mom take it?

WALLACE: Couldn't do it. I told her I was a co-worker.

ARMSTRONG: I told my friends I'm Cousin Liz from out west.

(Eli laughs.)

WALLACE: I may have over-sold the job. I said I was gonna change everything for mankind as we know it!

(He pulls a face.)

WALLACE: What the hell, right? Might as well make her feel like I left for a good reason.

ARMSTRONG: You did.

WALLACE (not convinced): Right. I guess so.

ARMSTRONG: So, uh, some of my old friends are taking "Cousin Liz" out on the town to see Janelle Monae. You wanna come hang out with us?

WALLACE: Hell, yes!

YOUNG HOUSE. Colonel Young is sitting in a car outside his house and watching his wife, Emily, arrive home with bags of shopping. A couple of minutes later Emily is in the kitchen unpacking her bags when she hears a knock on the door. She goes to the door and opens it. Her face fills with anger when she realises who it is.

YOUNG: Emily, it's me.

(Emily instantly closes the door again.)

YOUNG: Emily. Hey, no! Emily!

(He pushes on the door and knocks on it again.)

YOUNG: Emily, please, just-just open the door.

(Emily, leaning angrily against the door on the other side, turns and calls through it.)

EMILY: Just go away!

YOUNG: I'm not-I'm not leaving, Emily. I'm not gonna leave you.

EMILY: I will call the police, Everett!

YOUNG (thumping on the door): Emily, please! It doesn't end like this, Emily! Open the door! I just wanna talk to you!

(Emily runs her hands through her hair in frustration but doesn't open the door. Young turns away from the door in defeat and stares off into the distance for a while, then turns back to the door.)

YOUNG: All right, hey. Just ... I need you to just listen to me, OK, because I know this is crazy. I'm barely keeping it together and the only thing that's keeping me from going out of my mind is you. That's making me crazy too, 'cause I know how much I hurt you and I know that you hate me for leaving.

(Emily scoffs silently on the other side of the door.)

YOUNG: Emily, I really tried. I-I didn't want ... I didn't wanna come here. I tried not to come here but I can't ... I can't stand it!

(His voice gets quieter.)

YOUNG: Baby, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you so much. Please, just ... I had to try, all right? I had to, just in case there was a chance ...

(On the other side of the door, Emily fights back tears.)

YOUNG: ... a chance that you could forgive me.

(He leans his forehead against the door and blows out a breath.)

YOUNG: You know, maybe you're just afraid ... thinking that I would die out there so it's easier for you to just push me away now than have to face me like this. I just wanna come home to you, and that's all I want.

(Sadly, he turns around and walks down the path. Just as he opens the gate, Emily opens the front door. He turns back to her, looking at her hopefully. She looks at him for a long moment, then walks towards him and, crying, puts her arms around his neck and begins to sob as he holds her.)

NIGHTCLUB. As Janelle Monae performs on stage and the patrons dance, Eli is standing at the bar smiling happily. Nearby, a young woman is looking at him - or, rather, at the dishy young Doctor Williams - admiringly. She leans across to him.

MINDY: Hi.

(Eli glances around at the sound of her voice, then does a double-take. He looks around him, convinced that she must be talking to someone else.)

WALLACE: Me?

MINDY (nodding): What's your name?

(Eli wracks his brain for a moment before remembering the name he is currently using.)

WALLACE: Phil. Can I buy you a drink?

MINDY (lifting her glass): I have one.

WALLACE: Yes, you do!

(He smiles at her.)

WALLACE: Wanna dance?

MINDY: Sure.

(She drains her glass and heads for the dance floor. Eli, shocked and amazed, follows after her.)

WALLACE: Oh my God! This is awesome!

(Nearby, Chloe is sitting with her friends. She looks a little unhappy about the way that two of them, Josh and Celina, are sitting close together and leaning in towards each other. She turns her head away and sees Eli dancing with Mindy. He looks across and sees Chloe watching him and, grinning, gives her a double thumbs-up, opening his mouth in an awestruck "Look what I'm dancing with!" kind of way. She laughs and turns away just as Josh stands up, holding Celina's hand.)

JOSH: Hey, we're gonna go dance. You guys wanna come?

ARMSTRONG: No.

(As the other two move onto the dance floor, she turns to another male friend, Andy, sitting beside her.)

ARMSTRONG: How long have Celina and Josh been together?

ANDY: Uh, I dunno. Too bad about Chloe's dad, huh?

ARMSTRONG: Yeah.

ANDY: What's she gonna do?

ARMSTRONG: What do you mean?

ANDY: For a job. She was working for him, right?

ARMSTRONG: I don't really think that's on her mind right now.

ANDY: Sure. Well, tell her we're sorry.

ARMSTRONG: I will.

ANDY: You know, it sucks for me, 'cause Senator Armstrong was hooking me up with this Wall Street connection. Now that's not gonna happen.

(Chloe looks down at her drink, then puts the glass onto the table.)

ARMSTRONG: I think I have to go throw up.

(She gets up and walks away. Later, she's at the bar and the barman puts another drink down in front of her. She lifts the glass to her mouth and watches in the mirror behind the bar as Doctor McCormack drinks from the glass. Celina comes over and stands beside her at the bar.)

CELINA: Hey.

ARMSTRONG: Hey.

CELINA: So is Chloe really OK?

ARMSTRONG: She'll be fine.

CELINA: I wish she'd call me back.

ARMSTRONG: I'm sure she misses you. I ... I think she's just having a hard time dealing right now.

CELINA: It's just ... I really need to talk to her, you know?

ARMSTRONG: You mean about the fact that you're sleeping with her boyfriend?

CELINA: What?

ARMSTRONG: It's pretty obvious you guys are together.

CELINA: Look, Josh and Chloe broke up.

ARMSTRONG: Yeah, I don't think she ever would have suspected that you're the real reason why.

CELINA (indignantly): I don't know who you ...

ARMSTRONG (angrily): How could you do this to me?

CELINA: To you?!

(Chloe, more than a little drunk, grabs the girl's jacket and shakes her.)

ARMSTRONG: You're supposed to be her best friend!

CELINA (pulling herself free): Get your hands off of me!

(She glares at Chloe, who turns away from her.)

YOUNG HOUSE. Emily has apparently forgiven her husband, because the two of them are naked in bed and are making love. She sits up and writhes on top of him, moaning quietly.

DESTINY. Scott comes into a room where Telford is talking with Williams and McCormack.

SCOTT: Excuse me. Colonel? Can I have a word?

TELFORD (to the scientists): One moment.

(He starts to walk away with Scott.)

SCOTT: It's about Sergeant Greer ...

(As he speaks, a brief shimmer envelops everyone as Destiny comes out of F.T.L. Telford stumbles forward, but it's Colonel Young who grabs hold of a console to steady himself. He stares around the room in confusion.)

SCOTT: Colonel Telford?

(Colonel Telford is a long way away ... and stares up in amazement and shock as Emily Young writhes on top of him. Unaware of the change, she groans with passion. On Destiny, Young looks around in horror.)

YOUNG: It's not, it's Young. What just happened?

SCOTT: We just dropped out of F.T.L., sir.

(Behind them, Chloe and Eli have also returned to their own bodies.)

ARMSTRONG: Uh, what's going on?

WALLACE: It must have disrupted communication between the stones.

YOUNG: Scott, listen to me. We don't have a lot of time. You've gotta ...

(At that moment, everyone switches again and once more Telford, Williams and McCormack are in the others' bodies. Scott, unaware of this, is confused as Young falls silent.)

SCOTT: Colonel Young? Colonel Young!

(Telford, still bewildered by his brief sexual encounter, straightens up and tries to pull himself together.)

(Back in Emily's bedroom, she groans again.)

EMILY: Oh baby.

(She tumbles forward onto Young, who wraps his arms around her as she groans passionately again. His eyes fill with horror as he realises what must have been going on in the couple of seconds that he was away.)

(On Destiny, Telford finally manages to get his brain in gear again.)

TELFORD: What just happened?

SCOTT: We just dropped out of F.T.L.

WILLIAMS: Looks like it might have temporarily disrupted the communication device.

TELFORD: We have to fix that.

SCOTT: Sir, I think Colonel Young wanted me to shut down the stones.

TELFORD: This is no longer his command. Is that clear? The device stays on.

YOUNG HOUSE. Some time later, Young is on the phone to the Pentagon.

YOUNG: A glitch?! That's one helluva glitch, General.

O'NEILL: That's what I'm being told, Colonel. They're working on it.

YOUNG: Yes, sir. Just let me know.

NIGHTCLUB. Eli has been outside to make a phonecall and now comes back and sits down with Chloe.

WALLACE: They said it was some sort of glitch, apparently. It won't happen again.

(Chloe looks like she's at least four-fifths drunk.)

ARMSTRONG: How do they know?

WALLACE: I don't know. Right now, I don't care! Did you see the girl I was dancing with?! She wrote her e-mail address on my hand!

ARMSTRONG (drunkenly raising her glass to her lips): I hate this. I hate everybody.

WALLACE: Hey, Captain Buzzkill.

(He reaches out and pulls her glass away from her mouth as she attempts to down the entire drink in one.)

WALLACE: Whoa-whoa-OK. No more drinks for Cousin Liz!

(He puts the glass down where she can't reach it. She points across the dance floor.)

ARMSTRONG: You see those two over there? My best friend Celina and my ex-boyfriend.

(Eli looks at the two of them talking, then turns back to Chloe.)

WALLACE: You could do better. D'you wanna dance?

(Chloe glares across the floor at her two former friends.)

ARMSTRONG (drunkenly): I think I wanna go over there and punch him in the face.

WALLACE: Hey! Hey! I have an idea!

(Chloe drags her gaze away from the other two and looks at him.)

WALLACE: How 'bout we get outta here?

(They leave the club - or, rather, Eli supports Chloe as she drapes one arm around his shoulder and stumbles out, barely able to stand.)

WALLACE: Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy.

(They totter off down the street.)

ARMSTRONG: This is awful. I'm not even drunk at all.

WALLACE: Really?! 'Cause you seem drunk.

ARMSTRONG: My head's just all foggy.

WALLACE: Almost there. Come on, come on.

(He steers her towards a parked car.)

ARMSTRONG: Usually it makes me feel better.

WALLACE: Huh!

ARMSTRONG: At least for a little while.

WALLACE: It usually makes me dizzy.

(He unlocks the passenger door and pours her into the seat.)

WALLACE: And then I fall asleep.

(He closes the door, goes around the car and gets into the driver's seat. Beside him, Chloe starts to grizzle. Eli stares skywards in despair.)

WALLACE: Just once, I'd like to go out with a girl and not have it end with her crying.

ARMSTRONG (tearfully): My life was so shallow and pointless. And then I started working with my dad. I really thought that I could do something, make a difference.

WALLACE: You can.

ARMSTRONG (sobbing): These aren't even my tears!

WALLACE (trying and failing not to laugh): I'm sorry!

(He pulls himself together.)

WALLACE: If it makes you feel better, I had a really great time tonight.

ARMSTRONG (sniffling): I'm glad.

WALLACE: D'you know the last time a girl that hot told me I was cute?

(He thinks about it for a moment.)

WALLACE: Never.

(Chloe begins to calm down and wipes her eyes.)

ARMSTRONG: Doesn't it bother you that she wasn't really talking about you?

WALLACE: Well ... when you put it like that ...

(Chloe looks at him, embarrassed.)

ARMSTRONG: Oh, I didn't mean that. Come on. You're cute!

(Eli scoffs.)

ARMSTRONG: The real you.

(They gaze at each other for a moment, then she shuffles across the seat, leans in and kisses Eli. Taking his face in her hands, she deepens the kiss. He begins to respond ... and then she's back in her seat and still just gazing at him. Eli just fantasised the kiss. She frowns at his expression.)

ARMSTRONG: What?

WALLACE: Nothing! Go on - you were saying?

ARMSTRONG: And you're funny too. And you're a genius ...

WALLACE (embarrassed): Oh ...

ARMSTRONG: And ...

(Eli leans his head back against the headrest, suspecting that he knows what she's about to say.)

WALLACE: Don't say it!

ARMSTRONG: ... you're a good friend.

(Eli closes his eyes briefly in resignation.)

WALLACE (bitterly): Yes. That's me. I'm a good friend!

ARMSTRONG: I don't wanna be trapped on that ship. And I don't wanna be stuck here like this. I can't feel anything, can you?

WALLACE (looking at her fondly): Well ...

ARMSTRONG (talking over him): You know what's the worst part about having a father like mine?

WALLACE (blinking): Whoa. How did we get onto that?

ARMSTRONG: You can't live up to it. He was so great. (She sighs.) I'll never be like he was.

(She starts to cry again.)

ARMSTRONG (tearfully): My dad definitely would have punched Josh in the face!

(Eli tries not to giggle.)

WALLACE: Wow. I think I'm gonna take you home.

ARMSTRONG: Could you take me home?

(Eli looks round at her, bewildered.)

DESTINY. The ship is still in normal space as Camille Wray walks into the Observation Deck to join Doctor Rush who is leaning on the front balcony.

WRAY: A lot of people are behind this.

RUSH: Well, a lot of people play the lottery. What's surprising is they'd do it with their lives.

WRAY: I know you're opposed. I have serious concerns myself. I'm just wondering how much safer it might be if you were involved.

(Ahead of them out of the window, Destiny's weapons begin to fire randomly out into space. Camille and Rush watch as more and more blasts head out into the darkness. In the newly designated holding cell, Greer also watches as the weapons continue to discharge. Scott is also in the room, having come to visit.)

GREER: They can't keep me locked up in here forever.

SCOTT: But you know he will, long as he can.

(He chuckles.)

SCOTT: What you did ...!

GREER (also chuckling): He had it coming to him. (He looks round at Scott.) Look, just shut down the damn stones.

SCOTT: I'm not you, Ron. He's our commanding officer.

GREER: Colonel Young is our commanding officer.

SCOTT: Telford's got guards posted twenty-four/seven. What am I supposed to do?

(Greer looks back out of the window at the weapons blasts as they fly off into space.)

GREER: This better work.

(Scott nods in agreement.)

GATE ROOM. Telford comes in and walks over to Rush who is standing at one of the consoles.

TELFORD: What are you doing?

RUSH: I'm making sure we still have enough power to control these consoles when approaching the star.

TELFORD: Doctor Williams says you've come up with a way of improving the odds of success.

RUSH: Well, I don't wanna die, Colonel.

TELFORD: Good. Hopefully we've proven that's not our goal.

(He walks away just as many of the lights start to go out. The plan is working and Destiny is starting to lose power.)

EARTH. YOUNG HOUSE. Everett and Emily, still mostly undressed, share a drink. They sit opposite each other at the side of a table and she has her feet up on his lap. She looks at him thoughtfully.

EMILY: I'm sorry. I couldn't deal with it - the thought of you being trapped on that ship, with her.

YOUNG: What do I ... what do I have to do?

EMILY: Oh, I shouldn't have brought it up again. I ... I know it's over. But you've gotta understand ...

(The glass slips from Young's fingers and drops to the floor, where it shatters. Colonel Telford looks down at it in surprise, then looks up at Emily. She looks at his shocked expression with concern.)

EMILY: Everett?

(In a corridor on Destiny, Young looks around in anguish as Rush stops and looks at him, puzzled.)

YOUNG: No!

(He looks round at Rush.)

YOUNG: Rush, what's happening?

RUSH: We just jumped to F.T.L.

(And instantly Young is back in Telford's body again in his house on Earth. He looks around, trying to keep up with the constant changes.)

(On Destiny, Telford is trying to make a similar adjustment.)

TELFORD: Rush?

RUSH: Colonel Telford?

(Fingering Young's wedding ring with his other hand and starting to understand who the woman is who he's been spending intermittent moments with, Telford nods.)

TELFORD: Yes.

RUSH: Everything OK?

(Telford straightens and pulls himself together.)

TELFORD: It will be soon enough.

LATER. Some time later, Destiny bursts out of F.T.L. flight and heads directly towards the nearest star. In the Control Room, Eli returns to his own body, looks around at Chloe sitting beside him and stands up in indignation and starts protesting to Rush who is sitting nearby.

WALLACE: All right - this is ridiculous. Jumping back and forth without any warning is completely ...

(He finishes the sentence alone in his hotel/apartment on Earth.)

WALLACE: ... unacceptable.

(He takes a moment to re-adjust.)

WALLACE: Seriously.

DESTINY GATE ROOM. The entire crew is gathering, bringing with them their small bags of personal possessions which they brought from Icarus. As the marines marshal them into positions away from the Stargate and Rush watches the activity, Destiny begins her second firewalk and plunges towards the star. The power cells lower down from the underside of the ship and begin to charge. In the Gate Room, Williams is at one of the consoles with McCormack, Brody and Telford. Rush and Dale Volker, standing at the other console, watch them anxiously.

WILLIAMS: Diverting power flow to the Stargate. Ready to attempt dialling.

TELFORD: Do it.

(He turns towards the Stargate as Williams activates the controls. The Gate lights up and begins to spin. Everyone watches it as it rotates for a while, then stops and its first chevron locks. The Gate spins on, then stops as its second chevron locks. It spins on as Destiny sinks deeper into the star and more energy surges into the power cells. The Gate locks another chevron and begins to spin again, but now the room begins to shake. Telford turns towards Williams as electricity begins to spark around the Gate. Scott calls out a warning.)

SCOTT: Step back! Everyone back up!

(The crew backs away nervously from the Gate as Telford walks over to Williams' console. Brody looks at the screen.)

BRODY: You're gonna overload the capacitors.

WILLIAMS: Bringing power flow down.

(Despite all the electricity arcing around it, the Gate stops and locks another chevron before spinning on. Members of the crew cry out in alarm as the sparking continues.)

BRODY: Limitations are not holding.

RUSH: Because this system wasn't meant to handle this much power.

(On the outside surface of the ship, the shield which is protecting the vessel from the intense heat begins to flicker ominously. The Gate Room shakes more violently and the crew's cries of alarm become louder.)

TELFORD: Stay calm!

RUSH: The shield is failing.

WILLIAMS: Colonel, we need to abort.

(Telford looks around at the Gate in frustration, then angrily gestures to Williams.)

TELFORD: Shut it down!

(Williams types on his console, then looks up in concern as the Gate continues to spin.)

WILLIAMS: It's not working.

(Telford storms over to him as he continues trying to work the controls.)

TELFORD: I thought you said you could stop it!

WILLIAMS: I know! It won't shut down!

(Telford turns and glares at Rush, who turns his head away as if unconcerned about the whole imminent death thing. Telford closes his eyes in frustration for a moment, then turns and looks at Williams and McCormack before starting to leave the Gate Room. Understanding what he's about to do, the two of them follow him. Scott runs to the doorway and yells after them.)

SCOTT: Where the hell are you going?

(Rush looks across to Brody and nods quietly to him. Brody picks up a radio and hurries out of the room. Scott races over to Rush.)

SCOTT: Do something!

(Calmly, Rush picks up his own radio and waits.)

(The locked doors to the communication room open and Telford, Williams and McCormack hurry in. Telford touches a switch on the activation box and immediately Colonel Young looks around in surprise. Behind him, Eli and Chloe also jolt as they adjust to being back in their own bodies. At the doorway, Brody - who has chased after the others and seen what Telford did - activates his radio.)

BRODY: They're gone.

RUSH (into radio): Thank you.

(Putting his radio down, he activates the controls on the console and the Stargate goes dark, slows down and stops. The electricity stops sparking around it and all goes quiet. A moment later, the lights come back on. Everybody in the room looks round at the consoles and Rush walks around his and goes out in the centre of the room.)

RUSH: If I can have everyone's attention please.

(The crew gathers around him.)

RUSH: I'm sorry to have to tell you that, uh, we will not be going home. Not yet, anyway. But you can all relax and return to your quarters. The ship will not be exploding ... (he smiles) ... at least not today.

SCOTT: Normal power levels will be restored soon, right?

RUSH: Yes.

(He looks around the crowd and gives them a quirky smile.)

RUSH: Thank you!

(Murmuring amongst themselves, the crew break up and start to leave the room. Destiny's power levels can be heard rising. Camille, T.J. and Greer walk over to face Rush. Camille's face is full of anger.)

WRAY: You staged the whole thing

JOHANSEN: So all of this was just to get rid of Telford?

RUSH: Had to be done.

GREER: So you're sayin' that the ship is not gonna explode?

RUSH: Oh no, we would most definitely all be dead had I not put certain limits in place. I also arranged for the alarms and warnings to go off regardless - a bit of theatre. Always nice.

(He seems to notice for the first time that everyone around him is looking rather furious at him.)

RUSH: Their plan was never gonna work.

SCOTT: You could've warned us. You scared the crap out of everybody.

RUSH (a little bitterly): Well, I didn't know who was on my side, did I?

(He turns and walks away. The group watches him go, speechless.)

EARTH. In the conference room at the Pentagon, Colonel Young is back inside Hamilton's body and is pacing around the room as he reports to representatives of the I.O.A. and of the military. Doctors Williams and McCormack are also present. Jack O'Neill is at the head of the table, and Telford - obviously in his own body - is pacing angrily on the other side of the table.

YOUNG: Colonel Telford removed not only any sense of command but the two scientists that designed and implemented the programme that was causing the crisis.

WILLIAMS: The situation appeared to be irreversible.

YOUNG: Of course, and Doctor Rush was able to avoid catastrophic disaster.

WILLIAMS: Yes, and we'd like to see how he did that, along with the rest of the data collected during the experiment.

YOUNG: Yeah, those were people's lives you were experimenting with.

TELFORD: We were trying to get them home.

YOUNG (stopping and glaring at him): You cut and ran.

STROM: There was no point in three more lives being lost if it could be avoided.

(Jack looks at him for a moment, then speaks rather reluctantly.)

O'NEILL: Colonel Telford was following orders.

YOUNG: Sure. After much consideration, we've decided to stay in communication with Earth. I hope personal visits for everyone on board will still be permitted.

STROM: That depends, Colonel.

O'NEILL: Consider it done.

(Strom looks at him in surprise, not having expected Jack to override him like that.)

YOUNG: Thank you, sir.

(He looks at his watch.)

YOUNG: I'm afraid the time that I've allotted for this briefing is now up.

(He throws a look at Telford, then nods politely to Jack.)

YOUNG: General.

(He turns and leaves the room. Jack's face has a "What?!" look on it, but he masks it as Strom turns and looks angrily at him.)

DESTINY. Young is standing a few steps up the stairway in the Gate Room, talking to the assembled crew.

YOUNG: We're going to have to be tough, disciplined. The road may be longer than many of us hoped. We will have to sacrifice, compromise, work together without exceptions.

(In the Control Room, Eli - who has changed back into his usual clothes - is watching the Kino recording of Young's pep talk on the console screen. The talk actually took place earlier and Eli was presumably controlling what the Kino recorded at the time. Now it pans across the Gate Room to watch Chloe standing side by side with Matthew Scott. Eli pauses the footage and zooms in on the image so that he can see more clearly that the two of them are holding hands. As he gazes sadly at the image, Young walks into the Control Room.)

WALLACE: I thought you did a good job. People need to know the truth ... but they also need hope.

YOUNG: I need you to do something for me.

WALLACE (swinging around on his chair to face him): Sure thing.

YOUNG: Go over the data collected as they tried to dial the Gate.

WALLACE: I have already. There's a lot I don't understand.

YOUNG: Well, then, you need to learn - as fast as you can, and you talk to whoever you have to.

WALLACE: D'you think Rush is hiding something?

YOUNG: That's what I want you to tell me.

(Perhaps a little unwillingly, Eli nods. Young turns and leaves the room and Eli swings back around to the console and continues the playback of the earlier recording.)

YOUNG (in the Gate Room): We are going to survive. We are going to make it home. Make no mistake. My first priority is to make sure that we all return to those we love.

EARTH. In her kitchen, Emily Young sits drinking coffee. Someone knocks on the door. She puts down her mug, goes to the door and opens it. Standing on the doorstep is Colonel Telford.