Anything Iook famiIiar to you, TeyIa?
I do not beIieve this is a worId I have visited before.
- No Iandmarks. How can you teII? - It is difficuIt, but every worId is unique.
I've heard reports from SG teams on missions Iike this,
specificaIIy the mission reports of CoIoneI Samantha Carter.
She and I worked together to avert gIobaI catastrophe.
She and I... Ay, ay, ay.
- What was I saying? - Mission reports.
There's simiIarities between worIds that support Iife.
Makes sense. For exampIe, the coIour of the sky is just a product...
- What was that? - TurbuIence?
Seems to be OK now. I wonder what that was.
Getting confIicted readings.
It Iooks Iike a powerfuI energy fieId about 2,000 yards over there.
- Over where? - 18 degrees from our heading.
It's worth checking out?
Significant energy emission indicates technoIogy.
So you think it's worth checking out?
I'm sorry. Yes. Energy fieId good.
- Maybe not. - It's getting worse.
That's enough. I'm getting outta here.
We're not gaining any aItitude.
ControIs are unresponsive.
The drive just went offIine.
We're going in.
- Nice Ianding, sir. - Thank you.
- What happened? - You took us too cIose.
- Whose idea was that? - Let's not get caught in the bIame game.
OK, can you fix the ship or not?
- None of my equipment's working. - The sun is stiII high.
- What does that mean? - We can make it back before dark.
- (Teyla) We shouId start now. - ZeIenka and I can return and fix it.
No, it's not just the jumper. None of my equipment's working.
AII right. Let's gear up.
Check it out, sir. I think my compass has gone wonky.
You brought a magnetic compass to another gaIaxy?
You have no way of knowing if this pIanet's magnetic fieId is...
Wait a second. Let me see that.
The disturbance is eIectromagnetic, which is why aII our equipment's out.
- Which direction is the gate? - You're the one fIying.
AII right. We shouId be abIe to figure this out.
I beIieve it is this way.
(Sheppard) Let's move out.
(bird-like calls)
- Hey, can we go that way for a bit? - Why?
The compass is acting weird. I might be on to something.
- I'm gIad I brought it aIong. - How prescient of you.
HeIIo, heIIo.
Oh, yeah. DefiniteIy this way.
- Didn't fIy over this, did we? - I don't know.
I was busy trying not to get us kiIIed.
- These ruins are very oId. - SeveraI hundred years, maybe more.
So, the popuIation here's extinct?
- Check this out. - (Sheppard) OK, I give up.
If the disturbance is man-made, it's emanating from within these ruins...
somewhere... over there.
If we find it, can we shut it off?
If we can, we won't have to waIk to the gate.
I was thinking more of saving a good puddIe jumper.
That too.
AII right, guys. We'II stay here for a second, see if McKay can...
- They're kids. - With weapons pointed at us.
Lower your weapon, Lieutenant.
Hey... kids.
(Teyla) We are not here to harm you in any way.
That's right. What she said. We're friendIy, OK?
We arrived through the Stargate. We were onIy trying to return home.
- I don't think they understand. - I beIieve they do.
- Why are they pointing arrows at us? - You're a fuII-grown.
- Excuse me? - You need to see the eIders.
EIders... sound good.
Just Iead the way.
FuII-growns?
(child) Look what they're wearing. What are they hoIding?
Major.
- Now, where'd they get that? - It Iooks Iike a shrine.
- (Ford) They don't worship the Wraith? - That'd be a first.
That'd be disturbing.
Wraith bones.
Yeah, we know.
Its death bird feII out of the sky years ago. It reminds us of how Iife used to be.
- Used to be? - Before.
FeII out of sky.
- I picked up on that. - What knocked us down knocked it down?
- If so, we need to find it. - Why?
Anything that can knock out a Wraith dart, it's a big deaI.
That wouId be nice to have.
The eIders are ready.
- Hi. Nice to meet you. - I'm Keras, one of the viIIage eIders.
I'm Sheppard, and this is Rodney and TeyIa and...
- Did you say you're one of the eIders? - Yes.
How oId are you?
24.
- And that makes you an eIder? - How did you get here?
We used the Stargate to traveI from our worId to visit yours.
- You do know of the Stargate? - It's a big, round... thing.
No one has come through the weII for nearIy... 500 years.
Yeah, weII, here's the thing. We're a IittIe Iost.
And you are aII oIder than 24?
Ford, how oId are you?
- 25, sir. - I guess so.
Is that a probIem?
PIease... sit.
They're trespassers. We don't have to expIain ourseIves.
(Keras) I apoIogise.
- You are famiIiar with the Wraith? - (Teyla) Yes.
(Sheppard) WeII, we're not friends or anything Iike that.
The Wraith used to farm our pIanet
as we used to farm Iivestock and beasts of burden.
- OnIy, we were their herd. - They seem to do that everywhere.
Our ancestors fought them, but... our weapons were not strong enough.
Our peopIe tried to hide from them, but they were aIways found.
None died peacefuIIy. None couId enter into the eternaI rest.
EternaI rest?
To die at the hands of the Wraith, to breathe your Iast breath amongst such...
hatred and eviI...
There's no way to move peacefuIIy into the next worId when that is your fate.
My ancestors decided that to beat the Wraith, we must think as they think.
We ensured that we wouId never provide the Wraith with a crop worth picking.
- By...? - None of us passes the age of 24.
How do you manage that?
On the eve of our 25th year, we make the sacrifice,
both for our peopIe and for our own safe passage into the eternaI rest.
- What? - You kiII each other?
No. We take our own Iives.
And so the Wraith have not returned for nearIy 500 years.
Never in my Iife have I ever feIt so... oId.
This is without a doubt the most screwed-up way of Iife I can imagine.
- They seem to accept it. - They're kids. What do they know?
- They don't want us around. - Because we may bring back the Wraith.
They can't be right. WouId the Wraith just ignore them 'cause they're young?
I don't eat veaI, but it can't be the same thing.
Of course not. VeaI is deIicious.
The Wraith don't come by because the eIectromagnetic fieId takes them out.
Why do they not Iand outside and take the viIIage by foot?
Perhaps I'm not being cIear. Nothing works here.
Not their stunners, their darts. Even their shieIds wouIdn't function correctIy.
Why risk it when there's a smorgasbord through some other Stargate?
- Our guns stiII work, right? - They're reIativeIy primitive.
- We must teII them. - Not before I've Iooked at those ruins.
They're sacrificing themseIves.
What are we gonna teII them, TeyIa? ''Everything you beIieve is wrong.''
''Trust us, because we've been here for aImost an hour.''
We've taIked it over. You can stay untiI you've fixed your ship.
But you must work quickIy.
Your being here makes our peopIe uncomfortabIe.
Fair enough. We'II work as quickIy as we can.
There may be something in the ruins that caused us to Iose controI of our ship.
- They shouId be watched at aII times. - Aries.
That's fine. TotaIIy understandabIe.
I'II choose two of the viIIagers to keep an eye on you.
- Casta says you're 100 years oId. - Who's Casta?
- Me. - Where do you get your information?
- Why are we going to the oId city? - I gotta check something.
- What? - Grown-up stuff.
- What's a grown-up? - Someone who's oIder than you are.
- I'm three days oIder than CIeo. TeII me. - You're not a grown-up.
You just said someone that's oIder than me is a grown-up.
I don't need you to teII me what I just said.
- OK. - So, why are we going to the oId city?
- Ford, a IittIe heIp here. - (chuckles) You're a naturaI.
(McKay) Let's see how Iong we can be quiet. Who can be quiet the Iongest?
- (Cleo) I'm not a quiet person. - That's taIking.
(Cleo) I'm not a quiet person. I taIk a Iot.
- Do you have young? - Me? No. Not yet, anyway. You?
Oh, yes. They're raised in one of our other viIIages.
- Other viIIages? - To keep famiIy Iines apart.
Got it.
How many viIIages are there Iike this?
12. There are a few Iarger than this one, but more are smaII in number.
- And they aII make the sacrifice? - Yes, we aII do, as have many before.
No one ever...?
- What? - Decides not to go through with it?
Takes off? Runs away?
- There has been hesitation. - I bet.
We can be... persuasive when the time comes.
I know what that means.
Look... I gotta teII you, I don't understand this at aII.
Where I come from, we vaIue Iife more than aImost anything eIse.
You know what Lieutenant Ford wouId've missed if his Iife was over a year ago?
We're not aII that different.
It's just that... I wouId rather have 24 years of peace than a Iife of fear.
Yeah, but what if there's another way,
naturaIIy, when the time comes?
- The time comes. - Of course it does.
- That's part of being aIive. - I mean for me.
Tomorrow's the first day of my 25th year.
- Tomorrow? - Yes.
That's why I Iead the counciI of eIders. I'm oIdest among the 24s.
- You mean, tomorrow you, um... - Tonight.
Tonight?
Our way was put in pIace Iong ago, and it works.
It's not for me to question it. Tonight I die.
- How many? - Four, but there may be more.
He's given them time to prepare the ship?
- Against my strong objection, yes. - So this is Keras.
Who shouId be readying himseIf for his sacrifice.
I wiII be the eIdest by tomorrow, but that might be too Iate.
What do you wanna do?
They came through the Wraith weII, PeIius.
If they stay, the Wraith wiII come back and our sacrifices wiII be for nothing.
- They must be forced to Ieave. - I need time to taIk to the viIIages.
- We have IittIe of it. - You know the Iaws.
A forced sacrifice must be agreed upon by aII the viIIages.
Leave us!
TaIk with who you need to taIk.
I wiII give them to the end of this day to Ieave. If they do not...
Hey, hey. Coming through. Thank you.
- What's that? - A compass.
- What's that? - Used for determining direction on Earth.
- Where's Earth? - Listen, CIeo...
- Casta. - Whatever.
Aren't you supposed to be observing? Know what that means?
- Observing? - You stay out of my way and watch.
- Why? - Because.
- Because why? - I say so.
Why?
I can't work with you two asking stupid questions!
Now, sit down and shut up!
Oh, don't. Don't.
You're mean.
Thank you for finaIIy noticing. You wanna go, huh?
OK, OK, OK.
You got a reaI gift with the kids. You do birthday parties?
I have a purpose here. You deaI with them. Excuse me. Thank you.
It's OK. He's upset 'cause you're smarter than him.
You guys know what chocoIate is?
No? This is gonna be huge. Come with me.
We're gonna go over here and we'II Ieave the mean oId man aIone.
Oh, yeah.
OK.
HeIIo, heIIo.
It's reaIIy good, huh? Want some more?
(McKay) MaJor.
McKay? My radio's working.
Which is how I'm abIe to speak with you, yes. You have a second?
- TeII me you found the fieId generator. - l found it.
- And obviousIy the off switch. - Better than that.
It's powered by a zero-point moduIe.
lt's possible the EM field's been online for centuries.
OnIy a ZPM is capabIe of powering it that Iong. I've shut it down.
- You've disabled the shield? - TemporariIy.
I need to get the ZPM back to AtIantis.
We cannot just take it. It is their onIy protection against the Wraith.
The Wraith haven't been here in years.
If this is a functioning ZPM, we bring 'em back to AtIantis. How hard is that?
Hard. But the ZPM couId give us the power to make a Iot of probIems go away.
ExactIy. I need to get it back to a Iab.
- How do you pIan on doing that? - You've given me a fIying Iesson.
It's gonna take more than a five-minute Iesson.
Listen, I'm not gonna be dogfighting Wraith darts.
Ford and I can handIe it.
AII right, fine. You can go. But get back to me before tonight.
We sort of have a... a deadIine.
Right.
I think it is dangerous to Ieave the viIIages unprotected.
The Wraith haven't been around in a Iong time.
This is reckIess. You must see that.
What are the odds they're gonna show up in the next few hours?
- Why were the guides sent back? - Were they?
- Yeah, they were. - Must have been nap time.
- You think this is a joke, Sheppard? - I don't find much here to be that funny.
- What's wrong? - Two of the fuII-growns are unwatched.
- It's fine, Aries. - You shouId get ready for tonight, Keras.
- The cIeansing ceremony is set to begin... - Fine. I'II go ready myseIf.
- What were they taIking about? - He's sacrificing himseIf tonight.
- Keras? - I tried to taIk him out of it.
- If we teII them about the fieId... - I'm working on that.
But we can't do anything untiI we figure out what to do with the ZPM.
- This is a very bad caII. - Why?
You just toId me this ZPM powers their defences against the Wraith.
Yep.
- You don't see the probIem in steaIing it? - Not steaIing, so much as...
If it's of any good to us, we can bring them here.
For one, we don't even know how many of them there are.
- I hardIy doubt more than a few hundred. - What?
We're bareIy getting by ourseIves.
This is a big city. We have the mainIand.
We can't just visit pIanets, take away their defences and bring 'em back here.
- If they have a ZPM, yes, we can. - How moraIIy superior you must feeI.
They Iive in trees. PIus they couId stop kiIIing themseIves for no good reason.
They kiII themseIves for no good reason?
Yes. The EM shieId is what's keeping the Wraith away, not the sacrificing.
OK. You said that the sacrifices began at the same time the shieId went onIine.
More or Iess.
If the peopIe who buiIt the shieId impIemented the suicide pacts,
perhaps the two things aren't as disconnected as you think.
Maybe.
One more day, that's aII I need. I'II have a much cIearer picture then.
- CIearer picture of what? - Long story.
Stick around and I'II teII you.
I'II be honest with you, Sheppard.
There's nothing I'd Iike more than to spend more time taIking with you.
But it's not possibIe.
What if you're wrong?
What if a day doesn't matter? What if a year doesn't matter?
And what if it does?
I'd never rest peacefuIIy knowing I was the reason the Wraith returned to this pIanet.
- You can Iive a fuII Iife. - You're a warrior among your peopIe.
One who is trained to defend and protect them.
- I guess you can say that. - WouId you give your Iife if necessary?
It'd have to be reaIIy necessary.
How is the sacrifice so different?
So this is just gonna go on for ever?
As Iong as the Wraith don't return, yes.
WouId you stand witness?
Me?
What do I have to do?
Just be there as I prepare.
We gather the strength from those cIose to us for the sacrifice to come.
Dr Weir.
The bad news is it Iooks Iike the device harnesses M7G-677's unique EM fieId.
- ProbabIy wouIdn't work for us. - Assuming we considered steaIing it.
Not much point to that, either. ZPM's aImost depIeted.
- So it's worthIess? - I wouIdn't say that.
Enough to give us the shieId at fuII power for a few hours,
handy if the Wraith ever attack.
- It couId do what it was doing... - It is of more worth to them than us?
ProbabIy.
- DefiniteIy. - Fine.
- There's another thing. - Uh-huh?
I think I have a theory about the suicide pact.
- Yeah? What is it? - I'm not sure how much power this had,
but whoever buiIt the device knew its fieId wouIdn't cover the whoIe pIanet for Iong.
- So it was buiIt to protect a smaIIer area? - The area round the viIIages.
But if the popuIation got much Iarger,
the kids may move out of the fieId and become susceptibIe to a Wraith attack.
- So the suicide pact is... - PopuIation controI.
- Wow, that's a IittIe severe. - A IittIe?
They beIieve if they die in turmoiI, they don't go to their version of heaven.
WhiIe this guarantees that they die in peace, it's a reIigion, and a ridicuIous one.
That's not a judgement we can make for them.
- No? - No.
- Return the ZPM and get the device onIine.
Sheppard, it's McKay.
This is TeyIa. Major Sheppard is... unavaiIabIe.
- What does that mean? - He's taking part in the ceremony.
- That doesn't sound good. - Are you back?
I'm just gonna put the ZPM back.
- I'II Iet Major Sheppard know. - The jumper's outside the EM fieId.
We shouId be abIe to Ieave as soon as I've finished.
TeyIa!
We've found a Wraith braceIet that is transmitting.
We need that field returned as soon as possible!
Stop him!
I'm sorry. I had to do that.
McKay, we need it on now!
- Move! - I'm coming!
- What are you waiting for? - That shouId be it.
- What? - Far be it for me to cause a panic, but...
What did you do?
- What did you do? - In my haste, I may have broken it.
How dare you defiIe our remembrance!
- It was necessary. - Necessary?
You broke the Iaws! You must be punished!
- That's not up to you! - Neither is it up to you!
You've had enough time. You must fix your ship and go!
How Iong do they expect us to pIay chance with our Iives?
Every second a fuII-grown is in our viIIage
is a second we are no Ionger safe from the Wraith.
- They must Ieave now! - (cheering)
I'II take you to the weII. You're not safe here.
- McKay and Ford are in the ruins. - We'II pick them up.
- They put the ZPM back? - There's been a setback.
- What did McKay do? - (Keras) Friends, pIease!
The fuII-growns have agreed to Ieave and never come back.
I wiII take them to the weII myseIf.
AII this wiII be over soon
and we can get on with the ceremony.
Make sure they get there.
- PIease teII me you have this working. - These things are usuaIIy pIug-and-pIay.
- Get to the point. - There is a sequence which I haven't got.
None of that matters now. Grab what you can and come with me.
Aries wiII be sending men behind us.
- What made the braceIet broadcast? - I do not think it was anything we did.
It may be an emergency beacon that activated when the dart crashed.
The EM fieId's been keeping it quiet ever since.
It must have begun transmitting as soon as McKay turned off the fieId.
Listen to me. We have to move on. Now!
- We cannot do that. - Keras, this is hard to expIain.
We can't go anywhere tiII we fix this device.
Abandon your ship. You're risking your Iives.
This is not about our ship. It's about the protection of your viIIages.
What?
The reason our ship went down, the reason the Wraith dart crashed,
it's because of this device.
It renders aII eIectromagnetic-based technoIogy inside the shieId inert.
I don't understand.
The Wraith didn't stay away because of your sacrifices.
They stayed away because of this shieId.
- That can't be true. - It's not entireIy true.
The shieId doesn't protect the whoIe pIanet.
I beIieve the sacrifices were brought in
so your society never Ieft the confines of the shieId.
The sacrifices pIay a part in your survivaI, but not for the reasons you beIieve.
- It's impossibIe. - (Sheppard) I can prove it to you.
But you have to give us time to bring this device back onIine.
Keras is weak.
I doubt his oath to the sacrifice.
The fuII-growns have cIouded his judgement.
They've stopped in the oId city.
Gather the bows and the spears. We wiII rid ourseIves of them once and for aII!
Yeah!
Coming through. Excuse me.
AII right. And again. StiII in the way. Thank you.
- This'II never work. - We don't have much of a choice.
- This is not the weII, Keras. - (Sheppard) It's my fauIt.
We just received word from McKay that our ship's just been repaired.
In fact, he's back there right now waiting for us.
We were just saying goodbye to Keras.
- You think I'm a fooI? - No.
I just think you're a IittIe cranky.
Look, if you wanna escort us back to the ship, you can watch us Ieave.
Lead the way.
AII right.
(twig snaps)
- Oh, you scared me! - You scared us.
- Sorry. - It's OK.
We came to see if you Ieft any chocoIate.
Yes, yes, of course.
What?
Oh, you want some.
You can have this... but you gotta promise to Iet me work, OK?
- OK. - AII right.
- QuietIy. - Come on.
AII right.
- Do you intend to Ieave McKay behind? - We'II circIe tiII he gets the device on.
He'II show up.
It's too Iate. We're too Iate!
- What the heII was that? - Too smaII to be a dart.
It's a probe of some kind.
ProbabIy came to check out the signaI from the braceIet.
We gotta take it down before it gets back to the gate.
Boys...
Let us take it down or we're aII in troubIe.
Even if you were abIe to destroy it, more wiII come.
- That is not true. - Why do you think they're here?
You. The Wraith have sensed a crop worth harvesting and they've come to cIaim it.
Keras, teII them that we gotta take this thing down
before it gets back to the Stargate.
- Where's the other fuII-grown? - Aries...
There's a device that shieIds us from the machines of the Wraith.
- The sacrifices might... - He'II be in the oId city.
You've Iet your fear of the sacrifice put our peopIe in danger.
You have been protected from the Wraith by a shieId.
We turned it off by accident.
But if we get it back up, the Wraith wiII never come again.
There's onIy one thing I have to do to make sure they never come again.
KiII you.
Come on.
Somebody's coming.
What is this?
- You must come with us now. - Can't do that. Listen.
I need to finish my work here.
The Wraith don't care how oId you are.
I need to get this device turned on and I am so cIose, so give me one more shot.
Both of you, go to your rooms!
- You're not buying this, are you? - (whirring)
Hey!
No.
Sir, I don't Iike where this is headed.
Easy, Ford.
Nobody's shooting just yet.
- Yet. - And nobody's going to, either.
Aries, you have no idea what you're up against here.
Our weapons are more powerfuI than any you have ever seen.
She's teIIing the truth. They do more than make a Iot of noise.
They wiII kiII you.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- It works. - Of course it works.
I must teII Aries. Come with us.
Hey, you guys OK?
Head back to the viIIage. You'II be fine.
Your presence has brought the Wraith.
AII our ancestors' sacrifices you've undone.
- AII because you refused to Ieave. - It's not that simpIe.
Yeah, it is that simpIe.
- Aries, no. - (Sheppard) Keras!
- Sir? - (Sheppard) HoId your fire!
Look what you've done.
He's as guiIty as you are.
- Ford. - Ready, sir.
We wiII defend ourseIves.
And, beIieve me, you don't want that.
Archers, ready!
It works! Aries!
It works! The device works.
The device they speak of is reaI. I've seen it.
What?
McKay fixed it and the Wraith bird feII right out of the sky.
- That doesn't matter... - Aries, it works.
You aII right, McKay?
Trying to catch my breath.
Get the medicaI kit from the jumper. You're gonna be OK.
I was abIe to boost the coverage by over 50% without much of a power increase.
That shouId be enough for a sizeabIe popuIation growth.
Thank you. You have no idea how Iong the shieId wiII Iast?
There's no way of knowing, but there's a good chance you'II be a grandparent.
We'd be happy to come back and check in on you.
Ford couId expIain how to be a 25-year-oId.
- I'II Iook forward to it. - You'II have to get used to a few things.
But we can taIk about that next time we visit.
- Just promise me you'II stick around. - I wiII.
AII the viIIages agreed to suspend sacrifices?
They wiII require us to change some Iaws, but for now, yes.
- Sir. - Oh, right. Here.
What's this?
Where we're from, you get presents when you turn a year oIder.
See him there.
Happy birthday.
Here we go.
Here you go. One for you.
SubtitIes by SDI Media Group
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