ACT ONE
FADE IN:
INT. STARGATE COMMAND HALLWAYS
Linz is walking through the hallways on the base. She passes many people in the hallway going about their daily lives but does not stop or acknowledge any of them. She eventually cuts through the Control Room. In the Control Room, people are running around trying to get ready for Linz, Davenport, and McKay to leave. A TECHNICIAN is sitting in front of the main computer starting the dialing sequence.
TECHNICIAN
Dialing the gate.
(The Gate, seen through the window in front of the technician, begins to engage.)
TECHNICIAN (cont'd)
Chevron one encoded…chevron two encoded…
INT. PUDDLE JUMPER
The Jumper descends into the gate room from the jumper bay above. It is waiting for the wormhole to be established. DR. RODNEY MCKAY is seated on the left and Linz on the right. Davenport is behind McKay. The Technician continues the count down in the background.
DAVENPORT
Now who's excited about this? Man, I can't believe we finally get to go through a gate.
LINZ
Yep
DAVENPORT
I don't understand you. One moment you're completely excited about something and the next, not even George Washington himself, could get a word out of you.
(Beat. McKay looks confused and annoyed by the interchange of these two)
DAVENPORT(cont'd)
loudly, because of excitement
God, I'm not even sure I can keep the excitement in!
MCKAY
mumbled
Oh please do.
(By this point the stargate has finished the dialing sequence. The wormhole has been established.)
TECHNICIAN
Dr. McKay, you have a go.
(The Jumper goes through the stargate.)
EXT. PUDDLE JUMPER IN SPACE – CONTINUOUS
The puddle jumper exits a (different) stargate, which is orbiting a planet. The jumper comes out of the stargate and stops after a few moments.
INT. PUDDLE JUMPER – CONTINUOUS
(Linz, Davenport and McKay look around in confusion.)
DAVENPORT
Call me crazy,
(McKay appears to jump at the chance but one stare from Linz makes him think twice.)
DAVENPORT(cont'd)
but this does not look like a jungle planet to me.
MCKAY
Thank you for the wonderful observation, Captain. Something must be wrong with the gate.
(Linz smirks)
MCKAY
You can't expect me to understand everything the instant it happens! ranting I happen to be a fine addition to the SGC and make important discoveries everyday so don't judge me because one stupid gate won't work right!
(Davenport stands up and moves next to McKay to look at his data pad)
DAVENPORT
Come on Dr. McKay, just find a way home. I'm getting kind of hungry and I'm not in the mood for MREs.
MCKAY
Oh, I wish it were that simple, my small minded, military friend. From these energy readings, the gate is functioning correctly but any attempt to engage it and create a stable wormhole
(Beat. McKay realizes he's talking to Isaac, then continues slowly)
MCKAY(cont'd)
doesn't work.
DAVENPORT
jokingly punches McKay in the arm
I know you can do it McKay.
MCKAY
rubs arm
Naturally.
(McKay returns to trying to fix the problem)
DAVENPORT
turning to Linz
Major, know any good games?
LINZ
No
DAVENPORT
not fazed by the short reply, he just wants Linz to be involved
Oh, sure you do. There are tons of great games, like the license plate game
(Beat.)
DAVENPORT(cont'd)
ok, or twenty questions, or…
LINZ
interrupting
or maybe we could just sit here and not do anything.
DAVENPORT
once again, unfazed and trying to tease her
Oh, good one. I am quite the master of the Quiet Game.
(Linz rolls her eyes and swings her chair back around to face the front of the jumper. Something catches her eye outside the jumper)
LINZ
Doctor, what's that?
MCKAY
doesn't look up, assumes Linz is pointing at the stargate they just came through and proceeds to condescendingly explain stargates to Linz
Well, Major, that's a stargate. It's a form of space transportation. The ring creates an artificial wormhole with another gate once a set of coordinates has been dialed. Once the artificial wormhole has been established between gates, matter may enter one end, dematerialize, and rematerialize at the other gate.
LINZ
No, that.
McKay follows her gaze out of the jumper and lands on another gate. This gate is different. The chevrons are purple instead of orange( which the chevrons on the gate Linz, Davenport, and McKay came through were). The camera shoots straight at the new stargate which stays into…
INT. STARGATE COMMAND CONFERENCE ROOM
The shot of the new stargate pans out to reveal it is now a picture on a projection screen presentation. They are now in the Stargate Command conference room. McKay is standing at the front beside the power point. GEN. HANK LANDRY is at the head of the table with COL. STEVEN CALDWELL to his right. Linz and Davenport are on Landry's left and TRACY ANDREWS is sitting beside Davenport. They seem mildly interested in what McKay is saying.
TRACY ANDREWS is in her late twenties. She has been Isaac's girlfriend for the past six months. She is a very happy intelligent person. Tracy works as a gate researcher for the SGC.
MCKAY
After Linz, Davenport, and myself saw this other gate we returned to the SGC. We later tried to send a MALP through the other gate. Unfortunately, we could not get the gate to engage with just the seven symbols, so we tried eight.
LANDRY
So you were then trying to dial a gate in another galaxy?
MCKAY
Yes, but unfortunately that didn't work either. None of our gate addresses in the Ancient Database would work. So I, the brilliant Astrophysicist, began to solve the problem and through many brilliant deductions I got the gate to dial…Using a ninth symbol.
CALDWELL
Ninth?
MCKAY
Yes, now we know most addresses require seven symbols. Six to, essentially, dial the other gate, and one to be a point of origin. Sometimes an eighth symbol is needed to dial a gate in another galaxy such as the Atlantis gate in the Pegasus Galaxy. But what about that ninth chevron?
LINZ
interrupting
Hey McKay, you want me to tell them how you really figured out you needed to dial that ninth coordinate?
MCKAY
What? Oh...
LINZ
interrupting
He accidently dialed the last symbol twice. mocking What a genius.
MCKAY
Hey, how do you know I didn't do that on purpose?
(Linz stares him down)
MCKAY
Okay, fine, but the really interesting thing is what I found out about the last two symbols I dialed before the gate engaged.
(Davenport clears his throat loudly)
MCKAY(cont'd)
Yes, well, actually. It was Dr. Andrews who did most of the research.
(McKay turns to sit down as Tracy shyly walks up to the presentation. While giving the presentation, Tracy is extremely happy and warm. She is rather reminiscent of a Miss America contestant.)
TRACY
With the information that the MALP sent back once it successfully reach the other side is amazing. I couldn't believe it. This gate actually links to an alternate universe!
LANDRY
How's that possible?
TRACY
Well, I'm not sure yet, but I believe the Ancients created this gate specifically to link to another universe. Perhaps they wanted to know more about the delicacies of Space Time Continuum or they just wanted to make some new friends (she giggles at her own joke.)
(Linz rolls her eyes)
TRACY
It is not surprising that the difference in symbols occurred with the symbol for Gemini, astrological symbol for twins. It must have originated from Ancient
(Tracy gives a signature big smile. Davenport begins to clap but stops when Linz gives him a look.)
CALDWELL
Great work, Dr. Andrews. I would like you to continue researching this.
TRACY
Greats(he smiles and practically skips back to her seat)
LANDRY
I would like to send a team back to go through the gate and explore and make contact with this other universe, if it seems appropriate (Landry looks at McKay.)
McKAY
That was one time! One Time!
(Linz jumps up suddenly and stands at attention)
LINZ
Requesting permission to lead the team sir!
LANDRY
Geeze, you nearly gave me a heart attack Major.
LINZ
still at attention
Sorry sir.
LANDRY
chuckles at her rigidness
That's alright, and yes you may put a team together to go through the gate. Report to the jumper bay by 1500 hours.
LINZ
Thank you sir.
(Linz salutes and exits.)
LINZ(cont'd) (O.S.)
Davenport!
(Davenport hesitates for a moment but then jumps up and exits. Tracy and McKay gather their things and both exit. Landry turns to talk to Caldwell.)
LANDRY
Colonel, you need to get that girl to warm up a little.
CALDWELL
There's a heart in there somewhere sir, you just need to wait it out.
LANDRY
All, I'm saying, Colonel, is that she takes too much after you…in a bad way.
FADE OUT