Transcript by Callie Sullivan

DESTINY. Hunter Riley and Ronald Greer are having a chat in a corridor.

RILEY: Yeah, I read about these Chinese miners that survived a cave-in for six days by drinking their urine.

GREER: I'm gonna go ahead and pretend I didn't hear that.

RILEY (laughing): Yeah! You know what they ate? Coal.

GREER: Coal?!

RILEY: Yeah. That's a true story. I mean, don't get me wrong - it was pretty stupid. Almost killed 'em.

(Colonel Everett Young comes over to them.)

YOUNG: Water level's down again. You're sure nobody went near that compartment on your watch?

RILEY: Spencer came by and asked if he could have a look at the tank.

YOUNG: Why?

RILEY: He's a crazy person ... sir. Anyway, I said no.

YOUNG: Nobody goes in there without my authorisation.

GREER: Sir.

SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. Young has gone to the Control Room and is talking with Nicholas Rush and Eli Wallace.

WALLACE: Maybe it evaporated when we went through the star.

RUSH: It's a closed system.

YOUNG: You know, all that water went somewhere. We're down to half of what we had when we got here.

RUSH: I don't understand this.

YOUNG: Well, you're the one trying to get the recycling system up and running. Maybe there's a leak somewhere.

WALLACE: No. The ship says it's fine.

RUSH: If what you're saying is accurate ...

YOUNG: It is.

RUSH: ... then we've got a serious problem.

YOUNG: Well, we wouldn't if you did what I asked you to do in the first place.

RUSH: Oh, please. Can we stick to one problem at a time?

YOUNG: Running out of water wouldn't matter if we just dial Earth, go home.

RUSH: I already explained that to you.

YOUNG: The ship's recharged, the power reserves are full ...

RUSH: That's the point. They're not.

YOUNG: Well, where are we at, then, Rush?

RUSH: Probably about ... less than forty percent of their original design capacity.

YOUNG (chuckling): Think I can't tell when somebody just pulls a number out of his ass?

RUSH: What?!

WALLACE: Uh, I actually pulled that number out of my ass. He's not making it up.

RUSH: Look, if Destiny was ever capable of dialling back to Earth, it was thousands of years ago when the Ancients originally intended to come here, but not now.

YOUNG: Well, then, you're right. We have a problem.

RUSH: Yes.

YOUNG (pointedly): Again.

(The two of them lock gazes for a long moment. Finally Rush turns away.)

RUSH: OK, Eli ...

YOUNG: Get Brody in on this. He's an engineer. I need to borrow Eli.

(Nodding to the younger man, he leaves the room. Eli obediently follows him, leaving Rush frustrated.)

MESS HALL. A Kino is floating in the air watching the queue of people lined up waiting to collect their meal ration. Dale Volker and Jeremy Franklin are next to each other in the queue and are talking.

VOLKER: Forty thousand litres?!

FRANKLIN: That's what I heard.

VOLKER: Well, we didn't drink it.

FRANKLIN: Let's just say it wouldn't surprise me if there was more water than they're telling us.

VOLKER: So, what? They're hoarding it?

FRANKLIN: Big ship. You know the military. As long as they control the water supply, they control us.

(While he has been talking, Volker has spotted the Kino nearby and is staring at it suspiciously. Franklin follows his gaze, rolls his eyes and turns to address the Kino directly.)

FRANKLIN: That's right. I'm talking about you.

(In another room, Eli turns off the volume in embarrassment. Young is standing next to him.)

YOUNG: Those two are harmless. Keep it up. I need to know who I can trust.

(He starts to leave the room.)

WALLACE: I feel like a spy.

YOUNG (turning back to him): Eli.

(Eli turns to him, probably expecting a few reassuring words from the colonel.)

YOUNG: Clean this room up.

(He leaves. Eli sighs.)

WALLACE: Right.

(He gets back to watching footage from the Kino. Unnoticed behind him, a whirly vortex of something-or-other sweeps across the room and flies out of the door. It looks like the same thing that helped Scott on the desert planet.)

LATER. Some time later, Destiny comes out of F.T.L. flight. Greer is walking along a corridor. The whirly cloud comes out of a room behind him and swirls around the corridor. Greer, perhaps alerted by a slight rustling sound from the cloud, begins to turn around and the cloud promptly dives back into the room and out of sight. Greer looks suspiciously back down the corridor just as Young comes around another corner and approaches him.

YOUNG: What is it?

GREER: Nothing, sir. Just had a strange feeling.

YOUNG: Well, we just dropped out of F.T.L.

GREER: It wasn't that.

YOUNG: I'm on my way to the Gate Room. There's a planet in range. Come on.

(He leads Greer away.)

GATE ROOM. The Stargate is open as Young and Greer come in. Rush and Eli are already there looking at consoles.

YOUNG: What have we got?

WALLACE: There's only one planet in range. The ship's already dialled it up.

RUSH: We're getting readings now.

(Eli looks at the footage from a Kino they have sent through. The area around the Gate is icy and a snowstorm is raging.)

WALLACE: Woah! Looks like we entered the Hoth system!

(Young frowns, not understanding.)

WALLACE: “Empire Strikes Back.” The second “Star Wars” movie. OK, I refuse to call it Episode Five.

RUSH: Minus forty-seven degrees Celsius.

GREER: Bundle up!

WALLACE (looking at the Kino footage): Is that water ice?

RUSH: Yes, but the atmosphere's dangerously thin.

RILEY: And poisonous. Point one three percent molecular oxygen, ninety-five percent carbon dioxide with a hint of argon.

GREER: Woo! Nasty planet!

RUSH: The only candidate within range.

YOUNG: We're gonna have to use the spacesuits we found, but if that brings back half a ton of ice, I'll take it.

(He turns to Rush.)

YOUNG: Shut it down for now.

(Rush shuts the Gate down. Young activates his radio.)

YOUNG: Lieutenant Scott, come in, please.

(There's no reply.)

YOUNG (into radio): Scott.

QUARTERS. Matthew Scott is - surprise, surprise - preoccupied with a woman. He and Chloe Armstrong are standing in a room, possibly Chloe's quarters, and kissing passionately.

JAMES: Is there a reason your radio's off?

(Scott and Chloe break away from each other and look round to where Vanessa James is standing in the open doorway and looking at them angrily.)

SCOTT (sarcastically): Come in.

JAMES: Colonel Young is looking for you.

(Scott turns back to Chloe.)

SCOTT: Um, I'd better ...

ARMSTRONG: Go, go.

(He picks up his gear and heads out of the door. James turns her head as he walks past her.)

JAMES (sarcastically): What, you couldn't find a broom closet?

(He throws her a look and then heads off. She turns back to Chloe and smiles briefly and a little bitterly at her before walking away.)

ELSEWHERE. In a workroom, Lisa Park and some colleagues have been checking over the spacesuits that Young mentioned.

PARK: We're still working on the other suits. We're close to having a third one ready.

YOUNG: How close?

PARK: A day, maybe.

YOUNG: Well, we'll be back in F.T.L. by then.

PARK: Well, they're not in great shape. All these years, there's bound to be degradation.

YOUNG: Well, keep at it. We're gonna need them.

(He turns to Scott.)

YOUNG: Looks like it's just you and me, then.

SCOTT: I could take Kinnear, sir. She's done E.V.A.s before and you're ...

YOUNG: I'm fine.

(Scott nods a little doubtfully, then turns to Park.)

SCOTT: How are we gonna cut the ice?

LATER. GATE ROOM. Young and Scott have been helped into the two working suits. Park shows them what else she's found.

PARK: Plasma cutter. Should cut through the ice like butter. Just don't get the business end anywhere near you.

(She puts the cutter into a small case.)

PARK: Suit radios are voice-activated between you.

(Eli hands her a remote control. She shows it to the men and points to a particular button.)

PARK: Press here if you wanna tie into the ship's communication systems.

(Young looks across to Tamara Johansen who is standing nearby.)

YOUNG: T.J. You're in command while we're gone. (He looks around the room at everyone.) Is everybody clear on that?

RUSH (sarcastically): Oh, I'm sure we'll manage.

YOUNG: Riley, start dialling.

(Riley activates his console and the Stargate lights up and begins to spin.)

PARK: Assuming a fair amount of physical activity, you have just over eight hours of air.

SCOTT: It's - what - eleven hours until the next jump to F.T.L., right?

WALLACE: Don't worry. You'll run out of air long before we leave you behind(!)

SCOTT: Thanks!

WORMHOLE TRAVEL.

PLANET. Young and Scott plod through the Gate and arrive in a howling snowstorm. Scott gazes around at the limited view.

SCOTT: Beautiful, huh?!

YOUNG: One deep breath and you're dead.

(Scott blinks, then gets back to concentrating on the job. Both of them put down the small cases they have brought with them, and Scott goes over to collect the nearby Kino. Young takes a glass flask from his case and scoops up some ice from the ground. Closing the lid, he activates the glass and it heats up and melts the ice. He reaches to the remote control attached to the arm of his suit and activates the comms.)

YOUNG: Destiny, this is Young, come in.

JOHANSEN: Yes, sir, we hear you five by five.

YOUNG: I just tested the ice by the Stargate. I read concentrations of ammonia and several other toxic chemicals.

RUSH: How high are the readings?

(Young consults a laminated paper he has taken from the case.)

YOUNG: Off the charts.

RUSH: Well, you could try looking further afield.

(The men look up. The snow-covered ground ahead of them is flat, and a set of rocky hills can be seen some distance away.)

YOUNG: Maybe on the other side of that lake.

SCOTT: Is that really a good idea, sir? The further away from the Gate we go, the less ice we can bring back.

WALLACE: Oh! I've got just the thing! Give me two minutes.

JOHANSEN: Colonel, give us five. Eli has an idea.

SCOTT: Uh, maybe there's fresh water in the lake under the ice.

YOUNG: Minus forty-seven. The ice'll be ten feet deep. We're better off finding a pressure ridge - something we can mine.

SCOTT: Sounds like you've done something like this before.

YOUNG: Oh yeah - a million times(!)

(The ground shakes briefly. The two men totter on their feet and look around.)

SCOTT: Woah. Did you feel that?

YOUNG: It's just a tremor. You know, the last planet I was on exploded! Destiny, this is Young. We're burning through suit air. What's going on with this bright idea?

(Eli and Greer are pushing the bright idea towards the Gate Room.)

GREER: Here we come, people! Here we come!

(They come into the Gate Room, pushing what can only be described as a hover board - a large flat platform with over a dozen Kinos attached to its underside so that it floats in midair. There are heavy chains on top of it, either for use by the crew on the other side or possibly just to weigh the thing down and stop it floating too high.)

WALLACE: It's impossible to steer by remote.

RUSH: It's fantastic, Eli. What made you come up with that?

WALLACE (embarrassed): A-actually it represents my most recent attempt to fly ... but it should carry a ton of ice.

(He and Greer steer the hover board towards the Gate. T.J. tries to keep the giggle out of her voice as she reports to Young.)

JOHANSEN (into radio): Colonel, we're sending through Eli's latest invention.

(On the other side of the Gate, Young laughs in delight as the hover board comes through. He lifts a boot and places it against the front edge to stop its forward momentum.)

YOUNG: I love it! The man gets a gold star!

(In the Gate Room, T.J. smiles and nods approvingly to Eli.)

SCOTT: How much will it hold?

WALLACE: Definitely more than you can carry by yourself.

YOUNG: We're heading out. Keep the Gate active. We'll radio back when we find something.

(Having put their cases onto the hover board, Young gives it a shove to get it moving forward again.)

YOUNG (into radio): T.J.

JOHANSEN: Sir?

YOUNG: Listen, if we don't make it back ...

JOHANSEN: You will.

YOUNG: Well, two guys in million year old spacesuits walking around alone on an ice planet ... If we don't make it back ... you're gonna do fine.

JOHANSEN: Yes, sir. Good luck.

(The men head off across the lake, Scott prodding the hover board occasionally to keep it moving or to correct its direction.)

LATER. Greer is guarding the area outside the water tank with Corporal Gorman. T.J. comes over to them.

JOHANSEN: The level's dropped.

GREER: Again?

GORMAN: No-one's been in or out.

JOHANSEN: Well, Brody said there's no leak in the system, so that leaves one alternative.

GORMAN: Who could steal that much?

GREER: That's a lot of water!

JOHANSEN: Yeah, I know, but I don't know what else to do. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to know where we stand. Start a search.

GREER: Let's go, Gorman.

GATE ROOM. The Stargate shuts down. Eli, sitting on the stairs and tinkering with a Kino remote control, looks up in surprise. Rush walks back into the room.

RUSH: Dial it up again, Mr Riley. We must maintain communications.

WALLACE: It just went off a second ago! Your timing is perfect!

RUSH: Because it's been thirty-eight minutes, the maximum time a Stargate can remain open.

WALLACE: Well, see, I didn't know that.

(The Gate kawhooshes. Rush consults his notebook, then activates the comms.)

RUSH: Colonel Young, it's Doctor Rush. What's your status?

(On the planet, Young is scooping more ice into the flask.)

YOUNG: We found an exposed area of ice that looks promising. Testing now.

SCOTT: We're pretty far out. Can't see the Gate any more.

(Young looks at the liquid water in the flask and at the test results.)

YOUNG: Still worthless.

RUSH: Keep looking.

CORRIDOR. T.J. is walking along when she slows down and then stops at a rustling sound nearby. Behind her, the whirly thing comes out of a side corridor and swirls around. T.J. turns and looks at it nervously as the vortex spins in front of her. She steps slowly towards it. It doesn't back off and, as she gets closer, we begin to realise perhaps for the first time that the cloud isn't made of sand but of thousands of tiny flying creatures. They whirl around in front of her as she stands watching, then briefly begin to form a definite shape, as if mimicking the shape of her head and face. She stares in surprise but doesn't move and the shape breaks up. The swarm whirls around for a moment, then begins to form the shape of her face again. Greer's voice comes over the radio and the swarm breaks up and moves away.

GREER (over radio): Lieutenant Johansen?

JOHANSEN (into radio): Go ahead.

(She looks down the corridor but the swarm has gone.)

GREER (over radio): I found something.

JOHANSEN: So did I. Can it wait?

GREER: It's Spencer. I can deal with him myself if you'd like, but ...

JOHANSEN: No, it's fine. I'll be on my way.

(She gazes down the corridor a little longer, then heads off.)

SPENCER'S QUARTERS. Greer picks up one of two large water containers and swills it about. It sounds like it's at least half full. Two marines are holding Spencer's arms nearby. T.J. walks in and Greer shows her the container.

SPENCER: I didn't steal anything!

GREER: Oh yeah?

(He picks up a bag from the bed and shakes out a large number of energy bars.)

GREER: What's this, huh?

SPENCER: Those are mine! I brought them through with me when we evacuated!

GREER (walking towards him): You brought them through with you, huh?

SPENCER: Yeah!

(Greer grabs him and slams him back against the wall hard. He presses his lower arm threateningly against Spencer's throat as if attempting to strangle him.)

GREER: Give me a reason.

JOHANSEN: Hey, hey, hey! Back off!

(She pulls Greer off and pushes him away.)

JOHANSEN: I don't have time for this.

(She turns to the marines who are still holding Spencer's arms.)

JOHANSEN: Lock him up somewhere. The colonel can deal with him when he gets back.

(The marines march Spencer out of the room. Greer follows them to the door and then stops and watches them go. He turns back to T.J. as she sits down on the bed and blows out a long breath.)

GREER: You said you found something.

JOHANSEN: To be honest, I don't know what I saw. I have to talk to Rush. You keep searching.

GREER: Nothing we find is gonna add up to what's missing.

JOHANSEN: I know. But we have to know what we've got. No-one's gone near the tank and it keeps going down.

PLANET. The men have reached the hills and are standing at the foot of a frozen waterfall. Young snaps off an icicle from the bottom and puts it into the flask. Closing it and melting the ice, he consults the laminate.

YOUNG (under his breath): Come on, come on.

(As he confirms the results, he looks across at Scott and laughs. As Scott grins back and gazes up at the waterfall, Young activates his comms.)

YOUNG: Destiny, this is Young. We've got pure ice.

RUSH: That's excellent news.

YOUNG: It's a frozen waterfall. We should be able to break it up into manageable pieces and haul it back.

(Rush looks round to the clock above the doorway, then turns back to the console.)

RUSH: We'll be ready for you.

CHLOE'S QUARTERS. Greer is lifting Chloe's mattress and looking underneath it as she stands nearby.

GREER: Busy day on Destiny.

ARMSTRONG: I haven't taken anything.

GREER: I don't think you have.

(Franklin comes to the doorway.)

FRANKLIN: What are you doing?

GREER: Checking for stolen rations.

ARMSTRONG: It's OK, Doctor Franklin.

FRANKLIN: Confess, Miss Armstrong! You drank forty thousand litres of water!

ARMSTRONG (to Greer): He's kidding.

GREER: I know.

FRANKLIN: I'm just saying: we have rights.

(Greer locks his gaze onto Franklin and starts to walk towards him.)

GREER: I'm done here, Miss Armstrong. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you.

ARMSTRONG: I understand.

(Greer stops and turns back to her, nodding.)

GREER: I knew that you would.

(He turns back towards Franklin, his face stern.)

GREER: You. Next.

(Nervously, Franklin turns and leads him away.)

PLANET. Between them, Young and Scott carry a large chunk of ice across to the hover board and dump it onto it. They straighten up, both breathing heavily, and look at the cargo they have loaded onto the board so far.

YOUNG: This is never gonna be enough.

(He picks up a rifle and turns towards the waterfall.)

YOUNG: Stand back.

SCOTT: You've done this before, too, have you?!

YOUNG: At least five times(!)

SCOTT: D'you mind if I give it a shot?

(Young turns and looks at him for a moment, then hands over the rifle.)

YOUNG: Remember, all we have are the bullets we brought with us.

(Scott aims the rifle at the waterfall and carefully begins to fire single shots.)

DESTINY. In the Control Room, T.J. is explaining to Rush and Eli what she saw in the corridor.

WALLACE: So what are we talking about? Like, one little cloud of bugs, or are they all over the ship?

JOHANSEN: I'm not even sure that “bugs” is the right word for them.

WALLACE: Ha! What about “cloud”?

JOHANSEN: Except the cloud was alive. It was almost like thousands of tiny ... (she searches for the right word) ... alien creatures.

(Rush nods, unperturbed. Eli looks a whole lot more nervous.)

WALLACE: Yeah, I have a problem with everything you just said.

RUSH: What you've just described is, uh ... well, it's-it's the same as Lieutenant Scott claimed he saw on the desert planet.

JOHANSEN: That's what I was thinking, and maybe some of them followed him back here.

WALLACE: We'd have noticed them.

JOHANSEN: No, not if only a few came through the Gate. They're like tiny grains of sand.

WALLACE: And then what? Started reproducing?

JOHANSEN: Well, if it's a living organism, then yeah, they would.

WALLACE (anxiously): OK, so now we've got aliens. What if they start bursting out of our stomachs?

JOHANSEN: I don't think they're dangerous. It almost felt like they were trying to communicate.

RUSH: Lieutenant Scott used the same word.

WALLACE: Yeah. At the time, you said he was delirious.

RUSH: Well, I was wrong. (To T.J.) What do you intend to do?

JOHANSEN: Well, I guess we should stop everyone from wandering around the ship.

(Rush vacates his seat and steps away so that she has access to the console.)

RUSH: After you.

(She looks at the console uncertainly.)

JOHANSEN (to Eli): Um, here?

WALLACE: Yeah, yeah.

(He steps forward and pushes the appropriate buttons to activate ship-wide comms.)

JOHANSEN: This is Lieutenant Johansen. We have a situation. It's under control but, as a precaution, I ask everyone to return to their quarters and remain there until further notice. Thank you.

(She deactivates the comms.)

RUSH: You're, uh ... you're not going to tell them?

WALLACE: That we've got aliens?!

JOHANSEN: No. We'll keep it on a need-to-know basis. What else?

RUSH (shrugging): You're in charge.

JOHANSEN: And I'm asking your advice. What else?

RUSH: Always consider the greater good. That's it.

(T.J. looks away, exasperated.)

PLANET. The men have loaded the hover board as high as they dare with ice. Scott is unwrapping some netting to tie over the top to secure it. Another earthquake tremor shakes the area momentarily.

YOUNG: That's enough ice for now. Let's get out of here.

DESTINY CORRIDOR. Corporal Gorman is walking along.

GREER (over radio): Gorman, meet me in the Gate Room. We have ice on the way.

GORMAN (into radio): Copy.

(He breaks into a trot as he heads around the corner, but immediately stops again at the sight of the whirly vortex in front of him. Having not been advised about it, he has no idea what it is. As it starts to move closer to him, he pulls out his pistol and fires a single shot into the cloud. This has no effect and he fires three more shots. The cloud begins to swirl and rustle more rapidly and he fires further shots into it. The cloud races towards him and swarms all over him. He cries out and tries to swat the bugs away but they're everywhere - and they either have tiny little teeth or tiny little stingers, as evidenced by the blood that begins to appear all over his exposed skin as they attack him. He screams repeatedly, flailing around in vain, as they continue their attack and his skin gets more and more bloody. He slumps down onto the floor, his mouth open in anguish, and it's quite possible that some of the bugs fly inside his mouth and continue their attack in there and down his throat and windpipe. He writhes on the floor in agony.)

LATER. In the Gate Room, the hover board drifts through the open Stargate. Greer and a couple of marines run forward and pull it across the room and over to the doorway as the Gate shuts down behind them.

MARINE: We're on it.

(Unwrapping the netting and throwing it back, one of the marines picks up the first block of ice and hands it to another marine just outside the door. The marines have formed a chain, all of them wearing gloves, and they begin to pass the ice along the row towards the water tank. As the work goes on, Rush looks at Riley.)

RUSH: Dial back, please.

(Riley activates his console and the Stargate dials out and kawhooshes. Young's voice comes over the comms.)

YOUNG: Destiny, this is Young. How's it going up there?

RUSH: Offloading the sled now.

YOUNG: Hurry it up. We wanna do one more run.

RUSH: Just so you know, uh, another matter has come up. We-we have it under control.

(Eli decides not to beat around the bush.)

WALLACE: We have aliens on the ship.

YOUNG: What?!

WALLACE: They just shredded Gorman.

YOUNG: What the hell does that mean?

WALLACE: Millions of tiny flying razor blades floating around the ship like piranha.

RUSH: Corporal Gorman is alive. Lieutenant Johansen is attending to him now.

WALLACE: He's probably not gonna make it.

RUSH: Eli!

YOUNG: That's it. We're coming back.

RUSH: No-no-no, that's not necessary, Colonel. Eli is over-reacting. We believe the creatures are the same as those Lieutenant Scott encountered on the desert planet. They must have followed us back through the Gate.

SCOTT (to Young): No, I doubt those things I saw were dangerous, sir. They ... they helped me.

RUSH: Corporal Gorman may have provoked them. We'll know more once he comes to.

WALLACE: If he comes to.

RUSH: In the meantime, Lieutenant Johansen has ordered everyone to remain in their quarters. They're nothing more than a nuisance at this point, Colonel, but we desperately need more ice.

YOUNG: All right. We'll figure out what to do with them when we get back.

(The marines take the last pieces of ice from the hover board/sled and Greer throws a sloppy salute in Rush's direction.)

RUSH: OK. Sending the sled back through now. Rush out.

(Greer and another marine push the sled towards the Gate and shove it into the event horizon. The Gate shuts down. Rush turns to Eli angrily.)

RUSH: You're gonna have to learn when to shut up.

WALLACE: You can't ...

(He breaks off momentarily as the traditional burst of steam noisily comes up from either side of the Stargate.)

WALLACE: You can't just lie to the guy and expect me to ...

RUSH: Once back into F.T.L., it could be days before we find another planet capable of replenishing our water supplies. This ice represents a fraction of what we need to stay alive. We need more.

WALLACE: Yeah, I know, but that doesn't mean that you can ...

RUSH (interrupting): Yes, it does.

WALLACE: You're making it sound like we're ...

RUSH (talking angrily over him): Just stop acting like a child, please.

(He glares at Eli as the younger man stares back at him, shocked. Eventually Rush turns and walks to the doorway before turning back. Eli has slumped over the console, hurt and insulted.)

RUSH: We have to figure this out.

(Eli doesn't respond.)

RUSH (sternly): I said “we”.

(Sulkily, Eli turns and looks over his shoulder at him, then starts to straighten up as Rush turns and leaves the room. Eli looks over to Riley, but it's not clear who Riley is supporting in this argument. Unhappily, Eli turns away and follows after Rush.)

LATER. Greer is showing Eli, T.J. and Rush a flame thrower which he has cobbled together.

GREER: I say we torch 'em. You know, put some teams together, hunt them down.

WALLACE (gazing in admiration at the flame thrower): Where'd you get that?

GREER: I can invent things too.

WALLACE (excitedly): Hey, we've really gotta work together on this project ...

JOHANSEN (talking over the top of him): You know, maybe the bugs are just responding out of self defence.

GREER: Self defence?! Did you see what they did to Gorman's face?

JOHANSEN: Yeah, I'm the one treating him, Sergeant. I saw exactly what they did to his face.

RUSH: Look, we don't know what it is we're dealing with, and torching them may only serve to antagonise them further.

GREER: Well, we hit them with something else.

RUSH: For revenge. That's great(!)

WALLACE: Well, we've gotta do something. If we just sit around 'til they drink all our water, then we're gonna ...

(He trails off as T.J. raises her eyebrows at him.)

WALLACE: Alien bugs show up and half our water disappears. Don't tell me I'm the only one who made this connection.

RUSH (irritated): Well, obviously not. The question is, what are we gonna do about it?

JOHANSEN: OK, Sergeant, you and your team go search for this ... alien, entity, cloud, bugs, whatever it is we're calling them, and report back, OK?

GREER: Yes, ma'am.

(He heads off. T.J. calls after him.)

JOHANSEN: And, Sergeant? No torching!

GREER (not breaking his stride): Yes, ma'am!

WALLACE: Ooh! I have an idea!

(He hurries off.)

PLANET. The men have returned to the frozen waterfall. Scott is on his knees cutting up a large chunk of ice with the plasma cutter while Young is lugging another chunk of ice towards the sled. He dumps it down and turns back for another chunk.

YOUNG: It's gonna be dark soon.

(Scott stops for a moment to look around, then gets back to work with the cutter.)

DESTINY CORRIDOR. Despite his instructions, Greer is still aiming his flame thrower cautiously ahead of him as he and a couple of other marines make their way along.

CONTROL ROOM. Eli is sitting at a console and watching footage from a Kino. Rush and T.J. stand behind him watching Sergeant Riley on the screen who has opened the hatch to the water tank.

WALLACE (to Riley): OK, stand back.

(Riley steps away from the door.)

RILEY: Nothing's happening.

(Eli frowns at the screen, then has an idea and switches the Kino from normal vision to some other form of vision, perhaps night vision or a different type of light vision. Instantly the bugs become visible as they stream away from the hatch, passing Riley a few feet away.)

WALLACE: Eww! Yes, there is.

RUSH: It's like vapour! We just can't see them.

JOHANSEN: That's what they did when I first saw them. It's like they just disappear.

RUSH: So they're growing in numbers exponentially and consuming our resources without us even knowing it. (He looks at T.J. expectantly.) You have to get them off the ship.

(Eli watches as the last of the swarm leaves the view of the Kino. In the corridors, Greer rounds a corner and sees the swarm milling around in front of him. T.J.'s voice comes over his radio.)

JOHANSEN: Sergeant Greer, come in.

GREER (into radio): I'm a little busy right now.

JOHANSEN: The bugs are getting into the water tank every time we open the hatch. Once we locate the main swarm, we're gonna have to find ...

GREER (into radio): They're in front of me right now.

RUSH (into radio): Don't antagonise them.

GREER: I won't ... unless they antagonise me first.

JOHANSEN: Do they move when you do?

(Greer - who, with his colleagues, has been slowly creeping forward towards the swarm - raises his clenched fist and everyone stops. He watches the swarm for a moment, then sends a short burst of flame towards them from the flame thrower. The swarm retreats down the corridor. Greer activates his radio.)

GREER: They do now.

(He and his team cautiously follow the swarm down the corridor.)

WALLACE: What we need is an airlock.

RUSH: Unfortunately, there are none in the habitable compartments of the ship.

(Eli slumps. However, T.J. has had an idea.)

JOHANSEN: I know what to do.

PLANET. Young and Scott have loaded the sled as high as they can and are fastening down the netting over the ice.

YOUNG: This isn't gonna keep us going very long.

SCOTT: Maybe Destiny'll figure out we're getting short on water and find us a planet with nice fresh water right next to the Stargate.

(Young starts to tug the sled away, heading for the Gate. Scott follows along beside the sled.)

SCOTT: I mean, come on. We deserve a break.

(Instantly the ice shatters beneath his feet and he plunges into a narrow crevasse. Young turns around in shock as Scott screams out.)

YOUNG: Scott!

(He looks towards the hole into which Scott disappeared.)

YOUNG: Scott! Can you hear me?

(He stamps his foot carefully on the ice in front of him, testing whether it will hold his weight, just as Scott answers.)

SCOTT: Yeah.

(He is wedged in the crevasse about ten feet below the surface.)

SCOTT: I'm sorry, sir, the ice just gave way.

YOUNG: Are you hurt?

SCOTT: Negative. I'm OK, but I'm wedged in pretty good.

(He peers down past his feet.)

SCOTT: Good thing, too. Looks like a long way down.

YOUNG: All right, just hold on.

(He appears to have decided that the ice between him and the hole is too risky to venture onto.)

YOUNG: I'm gonna ... I'm gonna throw a line down.

(He fetches a cable from the sled.)

YOUNG: Here it comes.

(He tosses the end into the hole and starts to feed it out, allowing it to pull itself into the hole using its own weight.)

YOUNG: I need you to tell me when you've got it.

(Scott reaches up as the cable slowly descends towards him, and finally grabs the end.)

SCOTT: Got it.

YOUNG: Now, if you can manage it, run it under both your arms and fasten it across your chest.

SCOTT: Done this before too, eh?!

YOUNG: Oh yeah! At least a dozen times!

SCOTT (finishing attaching himself): OK.

YOUNG: Now, I want you to pull yourself up. I'm gonna pull from this end. You ready?

SCOTT: Uh, yeah.

YOUNG: OK. One, two, three.

(Groaning with the effort, he starts to haul on the cable.)

YOUNG: Argh! Pull! Pull, Scott! Come on! Pull! Pull!

(He screams with the effort as Scott also tries to haul himself upwards, but Young is unable to budge him. Eventually he drops to the ground in exhaustion.)

YOUNG: How stuck are you?

SCOTT: Pretty damned stuck.

YOUNG (dragging himself to his feet): Is there any way you can dig yourself out?

SCOTT: I'm not sure.

(Just then another earthquake tremor shakes the area. The crevasse creaks and the ice begins to tighten around Scott, who grimaces in pain and dread. Unaware of what's going on below him, Young straightens up as the tremor subsides.)

YOUNG: It's OK. That's passed.

(Scott doesn't respond.)

YOUNG: Scott?

(Scott opens his eyes.)

SCOTT: Still here, sir.

YOUNG: All right, let's just, uh ... Let's think about this for a second.

LATER. Shortly afterwards, Young's voice comes over the comms in the Control Room.

YOUNG: Destiny, this is Young.

JOHANSEN: Go ahead.

YOUNG: We've got a situation here. There was a tremor and Scott fell through the snow into a crevasse. He's fine, but he's just out of reach. I tried to pull him up but that's not gonna happen any time soon. How's that other spacesuit coming?

JOHANSEN: W-we stopped work on that. I confined everyone to quarters.

YOUNG (sighing): All right. It was just a thought.

(He pauses for a moment.)

YOUNG: Well, I'll figure it out. How's your bug situation?

(T.J. looks across at Rush, who shakes his head at her.)

JOHANSEN: Same as before. Don't worry about it.

(Eli looks at her, his eyes wide.)

SCOTT: And don't you worry either, T.J. I'll be out of here in no time.

JOHANSEN: Good luck. Johansen out.

(She deactivates the comms. Eli looks at her angrily.)

WALLACE: Everyone is lying.

RUSH: Yeah. The grown-ups do that sometimes.

CORRIDOR. In the corridors, Greer is either following or herding the swarm. He watches as it flies up a ladder, heading for a higher level on the ship.

GREER: This is Greer. It's working. They're moving away from us as we move forward.

JOHANSEN (from the Control Room): Good job. Keep it up.

(Greer turns and nods to his team, then starts to climb the ladder.)

PLANET. Young has tentatively crawled across to the ice hole and is shining a flashlight down onto Scott.

SCOTT: How 'bout you lower the gun down and I shoot myself free?

YOUNG: Yeah, that's good thinking. There's no way the bullets'll ricochet into your ass!

SCOTT: Well, maybe I could cut my way out with the plasma cutter.

YOUNG: You get one hole in that suit and you're dead. Maybe there's a way for me to get down there.

SCOTT: That's just as stupid.

YOUNG: “That's just as stupid, sir”!

SCOTT (starting to giggle): The last thing we need is for both of us to be stuck down here.

(Another tremor starts. Young flattens himself to the ice, trying not to fall into the hole. Scott grimaces as the ice shifts around him again. The tremor subsides.)

YOUNG: You OK?

SCOTT: Uh, closed in a little tighter, but ... I think ...

(He trails off.)

YOUNG: What? What?

(Scott closes his eyes in dread as he hears hissing.)

SCOTT: I think I'm losing suit pressure.

DESTINY. CHLOE'S QUARTERS. Chloe is sitting and listening to music through earphones plugged into a portable media player. James comes in and puts her hand onto her shoulder to attract her attention. Chloe switches the player off and takes the earphones out.

ARMSTRONG: I thought we were supposed to be confined to quarters.

JAMES: Yeah. Well, I heard over the radio ...

(She hesitates. Chloe looks at her in concern.)

JAMES: There was a tremor. Lieutenant Scott fell into a crevasse.

ARMSTRONG (shocked): Oh my God.

JAMES: He's OK, just stuck.

ARMSTRONG: Do they have enough air?

JAMES: Colonel Young says he's got it under control. I just, um ... thought you would wanna know.

(They look at each other for a long moment, Chloe understanding that Vanessa is, perhaps, giving up any claim to Matt by doing this.)

ARMSTRONG (nodding): Thanks.

JAMES (sadly): Yeah.

(She leaves the room.)

CONTROL ROOM. Chloe comes in as Young reports over the radio.

YOUNG: I think the ice tore a hole in his suit.

WALLACE: How big a tear is it?

SCOTT: I can't ... I can't see it but I can hear it. It's-it's hissing out pretty good.

(Chloe looks appalled. Unaware of her arrival, Rush states facts.)

RUSH: An hour at most.

YOUNG: Plenty of time to make it back.

SCOTT (frustrated): Yeah, if I wasn't stuck.

RUSH: Colonel, you have to consider the amount of time you have left now.

YOUNG: I'm aware of the damned time, Rush.

RUSH: All I'm saying is: if you delay much longer ...

YOUNG: Listen to me. I know exactly what you're saying, and I'm not going anywhere without Lieutenant Scott, and that's the way it's gonna be.

ARMSTRONG (furiously, to Rush): What is the matter with you?

(Everyone turns around at the sound of her voice.)

RUSH (awkwardly): Miss Armstrong. You should return to your quarters.

ARMSTRONG (angrily): And you know where you can go.

(Eli walks over to her to try and comfort and calm her down. Rush turns back to the console.)

RUSH (awkwardly): Look, Colonel, I understand your desire to rescue Lieutenant Scott, of course. But only you can decide how much time you have left. But, Lieutenant, if Colonel Young remains there trying to free you, to pull you up by himself, there's a chance he might not make it back.

SCOTT: He's right.

YOUNG: Just keep the Gate active. We're gonna make it back in time with your damn ice, which is all you really care about.

RUSH: Colonel ...

YOUNG: Young out.

(He deactivates his radio and sighs.)

YOUNG: Damn, he's a lotta work.

CORRIDOR. Greer leans cautiously around a corner and watches as the swarm whirls away in front of him. He carefully follows it around another corner and finds that the swarm has reached a dead end and has entered a room at the end of the corridor. He hurries forward and activates the panel which closes the doors, trapping the swarm inside. He activates his radio as he peers through the window at the swarm whirling around the room.

GREER: This is Greer. I locked 'em up.

RUSH: Closing off the ventilation in that room.

(He types on the console and a schematic of the room turns red.)

WALLACE: OK, vents are closed. It should be airtight.

JOHANSEN (into radio): What are they doing now?

(Greer watches as the swarm races more frantically around the room.)

GREER: Looking for a way out.

WALLACE (nervously): Let's hope they don't find one.

PLANET. Young is making one last attempt to haul Scott free of the ice. He pants as he tugs hard on the cable.

YOUNG: Damn!

(Making no headway, he cries out in frustration and stamps his foot harder into the snow beneath him, trying to give himself more pull.)

YOUNG: Come on!

(Still Scott doesn't budge and eventually Young falls backwards in exhaustion. He growls to himself, trying to urge himself back onto his feet.)

YOUNG: Come on, come on.

(He rolls over onto his front and peers down into the crevasse at the sight of Matthew so close by. Panting in frustration and anger, he rolls onto his back again.)

SCOTT: Sir. Colonel?

YOUNG: I'm thinking.

SCOTT: Go. It's OK.

YOUNG: No it's not.

SCOTT: Come on, sir. (He smiles briefly.) We both know you've done this before, too.

YOUNG: I've done what?

SCOTT: Lost people.

YOUNG: Too many times. I'm not ... I'm not doing it again.

SCOTT: I - I can't let you do it.

YOUNG: You don't have a choice.

SCOTT: Not that I'm counting, but this is the third time in almost as many weeks that you've been willing to kill yourself and there's ... there's a pretty good chance at this point I won't be around to talk you out of it again.

(Young sighs.)

YOUNG: You're a fine young officer. You've got a heart as big as a house. I'm not here 'cause I wanna die. I'm here because I haven't given up on saving your ass, so just shut up and think.

DESTINY CORRIDOR. Greer continues to watch through the window as the swarm's movements around the room become faster and more erratic.

GREER: They're getting pissed off.

(The swarm swoops close to the window and, despite the glass between them, Greer can't help but flinch back.)

GREER: Really pissed off.

(He begins to back away from the doors, then looks in shock as there's a loud thud on the doors. He sends a burst of flame towards them.)

GREER (into radio): A few of them got out.

(He fires another blast of fire towards the doors.)

WALLACE: What?! How?!

(Greer and his team back away slowly away as he sends continual short bursts of flame back along the corridor.)

GREER (into radio): We need a plan, Lieutenant!

JOHANSEN: I'm coming down there.

(She hurries out of the Control Room.)

PLANET. The snowfall is slowing and the sky is clearing. Young is still lying on his back, gazing up as a ringed planet comes into view in the sky.

YOUNG: This is beautiful out here. Scott.

(In the crevasse, Scott's eyes have closed and his head has drooped forward.)

YOUNG: Lieutenant. Lieutenant.

(He props himself up on one elbow and looks down into the crevasse.)

YOUNG: Scott. Scott. Scott!

(There's no response. Young stands up and turns away, frustrated and helpless. He stares at the sled as if trying to think of a way to use that, but nothing comes to mind. As he continues to wrack his brain, another tremor starts up. The ground trembles and the cable attached to Scott, which Young had dropped to the ground, begins to be shaken into the hole. Young chases after it and drops down onto it, grabbing the end before it disappears. In the crevasse, the ice flexes and shifts, but this time it moves outwards a little and suddenly Matthew is dangling free on the end of the rope. Young groans as he takes the young man's full weight but immediately he starts hauling on the cable and trying to pull him upwards. He scrambles to his feet and digs his feet into the ground as hard he can, trying to move backwards. Scott moves upwards a few inches, then a few more. Young yells out.)

YOUNG: Scott! Wake up! Scott! Godamn it! Wake up!

(Scott's eyes finally flicker and he starts to regain consciousness.)

YOUNG: Scott! I need you to wake up, Scott! Scott, come on!

(Realising what's happening, Scott reaches up and tries to grab onto the ice at the sides of the crevasse, and to find footholds with his boots. Unaware that he's conscious, Young continues to yell at him.)

YOUNG: Wake up! Come on! Come on! Lieutenant!

(Groaning, he manages to haul him a foot or two higher. Scott paws at the ice above him, struggling to stay conscious with his limited air. Yelling with effort, Young drags him higher and Scott's outstretched fingers catch the edge of the hole. Young tugs at him again and at last Scott manages to get a proper grip and starts to haul himself upwards.)

YOUNG (still pulling on the cable): All right, I got you.

(Grunting, Scott continues trying to heave himself out of the hole.)

YOUNG: That's it, pull! Pull, Lieutenant. Come on, Lieutenant! Lieutenant!

(At last Scott gets the bulk of his weight over the edge and Young dares to drop the cable and hurry forward to help him.)

YOUNG: OK, that's it! OK, that's it, I got you, I got you!

(He grabs Scott's spacesuit and hauls him forward and away from the edge of the hole. Scott rolls over onto his back and Young collapses beside him, grunting and trying to catch his breath. He looks down at Scott and laughs as much as his exhaustion will let him.)

YOUNG: OK. You're OK!

(Scott's eyes flicker and close. Young stares at him in concern.)

YOUNG: Hey. Hey, Scott, come on. Hang on, kid.

DESTINY CORRIDOR. Greer looks anxiously over his shoulder as T.J. approaches.

GREER: What's the plan?

(T.J. walks past him, followed by two crewmembers carrying a large drum of water.)

JOHANSEN: We open the door, they go for the water, we close the lid.

GREER: All right. Who's gonna do that?

JOHANSEN: I am.

GREER: No-no-no. I will.

JOHANSEN: I'm not the one with the torch.

GREER: No, look, I am not gonna let you do that.

JOHANSEN: I'm not the one who's killed any of them, Sergeant. You are.

GREER: I'll stand back; torch them if they get out.

JOHANSEN: No. I want you out of sight.

GREER: What, you don't trust me?

JOHANSEN: No. I don't.

(They lock gazes for a moment and then Greer, respecting her honesty, lowers his flamethrower and comes to attention.)

GREER: All right.

(He and the others move away, leaving T.J. alone outside the doors. She looks through the window for a moment, then activates her radio.)

JOHANSEN: Eli, I'm ready. Make us a clear path to the Gate Room. Seal off everything else.

(In the Control Room, Rush nods encouragingly to Eli as he carries out T.J.'s instructions. Eli activates his radio to confirm that the route is ready.)

WALLACE: You're good.

JOHANSEN: If this doesn't work, lock this compartment off from the rest of the ship.

PLANET. Colonel Young has loaded the unconscious body of Lieutenant Scott onto the sled and is pushing it back in the direction of the Stargate.

YOUNG (into radio): Destiny, this is Young. I'm on my way back with Scott. Come in.

DESTINY CORRIDOR. As the swarm buzzes frantically around the room, T.J. activates her radio from the other side of the doors.

JOHANSEN: OK, let 'em out.

(The lock spins and the doors slide open. T.J. gasps in dread as the swarm surges out towards her - but in between them is the open drum of water. The swarm whirls over the top of it, almost as if considering whether it's more important to attack the nasty human or to get a drink. Eventually they collectively decide that the nasty human can wait and the swarm dives into the drum. As soon as they're all in, T.J. - who has been holding the lid of the drum in front of her - places the lid over the top and starts to fasten it down.)

JOHANSEN: OK, I've got 'em!

(Greer and the others hurry back around the corner and a couple of them grab the drum and lift it.)

JOHANSEN (into radio): All right, dial the Gate. We're on our way.

PLANET. The Gate kawhooshes just as Young pushes the sled towards it

YOUNG (exhaustedly into radio): This is Young. I'm almost at the Stargate with Scott. Shut it down so I can dial in.

RUSH: Colonel, we're about to send these alien bugs through to the planet. We've no other choice.

YOUNG: What?

RUSH: I need you to step away from the Gate and remain as still as possible.

(Greer and his colleague run over to the Gate with the drum.)

RUSH: They're coming through now.

(The marines toss the drum into the event horizon. On the planet, the drum soars out of the Gate and crashes to the ground a few feet away. As Young looks down at it, the lid buckles as if a large fist is punching at it from the inside. After three blows, the lid bursts open and the swarm races out, swirling angrily around the Gate before whirling towards the two men. It hovers over Scott's body and gathers into a tight ball above his head, presumably recognising him from their last encounter out in the desert. He blearily opens his eyes and looks up at the bugs as they shift and start to form into a replica of his face. They hold the shape for a moment, nodding down to him as Young gazes in amazement, then they break formation and swirl up into the air as the Stargate shuts down. Young grabs his remote and starts to dial.)

(In the Gate Room, the group watches anxiously as the Gate starts to dial in and then kawhooshes. A few seconds later Young pushes the sled through and everyone (well, everyone but Rush - no surprise there) runs forward to help pull the sled into the Gate Room. The Gate closes down. Young lifts the front of his helmet up.)

YOUNG: Get his helmet off!

(Greer tugs the front of Scott's helmet up and various people shift chunks of ice from underneath the lieutenant to make him more comfortable. T.J. puts her fingers to his neck.)

JOHANSEN: His pulse is thready but he's breathing. Let's get him out of here.

(Chloe, who has so far stood back a little to let the others do what was necessary, now moves in and takes one of Scott's hands. He opens his eyes and looks up at her as the sled is pushed out of the Gate Room. Other crew members pick up the chunks of ice and carry them off to the water tank. Riley holds a water bottle up to Young's mouth and he drinks deeply, then pulls away, almost gagging from drinking too much at once. As the activity continues at the other end of the Gate Room, Doctor Rush sits at the console, calmly taking no notice of anything that's going on around him and simply gazing in the direction of Young and the Stargate. Young stares back at him in disbelief but Rush doesn't react to him at all, simply stroking his chin and apparently pondering the wonders of the universe. Finally Young can't stand the sight any longer and turns back to Riley, reaching out and tilting the water bottle up to his mouth again.)

SPACE. Some time later, Destiny goes back into F.T.L. flight.

HOLDING ROOM. Sergeant Spencer is sitting on a bench at the side of a room. The doors unlock and open and Spencer gets to his feet and comes to attention as Young and Greer come into view.

YOUNG: Sergeant Spencer. You step out of line again and I will deal with you personally. Understand?

(Spencer walks towards the doorway, almost passing Young before he deigns to answer.)

SPENCER: Yes, sir.

(Greer turns his head and watches him walk off down the corridor.)

GREER (thoughtfully over his shoulder to Young): I don't think he does.

LATER. Later, Young comes out of a room and into a corridor where Franklin, Volker and Park are all waiting for him. They start to talk over the top of each other as he walks past them and continues on down the corridor.

FRANKLIN: Colonel, I need to talk to you about the behaviour of one of your men.

PARK: No, that can wait. We need to go over the new rationing amounts before the next ...

VOLKER: Colonel, I was scheduled to use the communication stones this morning.

(Young continues to walk away from them, ignoring them.)

PARK: Colonel?

VOLKER: Colonel!

(Their voices echo behind him as he continues walking, lost in thought.)

KINO VISION. Eli has apparently started a new collection of messages - either that or Young wants to start a sort of log of events. He looks into the camera.

YOUNG: At approximately zero three hundred hours ship time, Corporal Gorman succumbed to injuries sustained in an encounter with an alien entity. Lieutenant Johansen did everything that she could. I intend to hold appropriate services tomorrow at sixteen hundred hours.

(He looks down at the remote that Eli has given him, then calls over his shoulder.)

YOUNG: How do I turn it off?