Stargate Atlantis 3 : Zakmus part 2, Unfinished business

Part 13

On the Daedalus.

Sam is working in a room with Moore and Teyla. Teyla is showing them something on a paper. Lorne is with them.

TEYLA: This is where we went the first time. Doctor McKay thought that the generator's heat signature was coming from somewhere around here. (Shows an entire area on the globe)
MOORE: You just pointed at half the planet.
TEYLA: I did? No, look. (She shows again) This is not half.
MOORE: Fine, ⅓.
SAM: Where did you start losing control of the jumper?
TEYLA: Here. (She points at the map)
MOORE: That's more precise, at least. (The other 3 look at him) Ok, so, let's avoid this area and focus here. We can start here, and go on our way from there to there. (He stops, realizing that they're still looking at him. He looks at them) What?
LORNE: You're turning into a second McKay, you know that?
SAM: I concur.
TEYLA: Me too.
MOORE: No... I don't. (He pauses) I do? (Lorne nods) Oh no. I'm sorry. I... I barely slept ever since we discovered the Galio. (He pauses, and scratches his nose) I have an idea. Major, what if you slap me every time I'm being rude. How's that?
SAM: No one is gonna slap you...
LORNE: Deal. (He shakes his hand)
SAM: Major Lorne!
LORNE: He asked for it! (She shakes her head and goes back to the map)
SAM: Let's focus, please.
TEYLA: (Takes the remote device on the table. It is connected to a computer) Does this have enough radiation to determine the exact location of the generator?
SAM: It should be. We don't need much, really. Thanks to this remote, we managed to isolate the type of radiation from the magnetic shield.
MOORE: We named them Radiations Z. For Zakmus. (He smiles. Sam looks at the map and thinks)
LORNE: What kind of radiation is that? Can it kill us?
MOORE: They're not really deadly actually. What they mainly do is create heat. The closer you get to the shield, the hotter it gets. And that's the dangerous part.
LORNE: So, we need to keep an eye on that magnetic attraction, rather than the radiations?
MOORE: (Hesitates) N...no? They both work together, Major. Ok. (He takes his computer and puts a picture of the Galio around the planet) So, here is/was the Galio, right? It already had quite a distance from the planet, as you can see. Well, this distance is... basically the limit. Once you pass that point, there's no return. You get sucked into the attraction force, and...
LORNE: And you crash onto the shield.
MOORE: Or burn to death. I'm not sure which one is worst...
LORNE: I think I'd rather crash.
MOORE: Yeah, me too.
TEYLA: But we weren't that close the first time, and yet, the jumper did get sucked in.
SAM: (Still looking at the map and looking at some papers) And you're sure this is where it happened?
TEYLA: Certain.
SAM: (Pauses) Doctor Moore. (She takes a pen and draws a cross where Teyla pointed at. She then draws a line to the ship, on the other side of the planet, an exact straight line)
MOORE: They are perfect opposites. (He takes a paper and checks the coordinates. He looks at Sam and smiles) We found the generator.
LORNE: What, already?
MOORE: It would make sense. Look. The Galio is here.
LORNE: Was.
MOORE: Was here. And this is where you lost control of the jumper. (Looks at Teyla, she nods)
LORNE: Was it not because of their altitude?
TEYLA: No. Doctor McKay insisted that Colonel Sheppard kept a safe distance between us and the shield. That is why we were all very surprised when it happened.
LORNE: So what? It can't be an anomaly or something?
MOORE: Every shield has a starting and an ending point. And where those two usually meet...
SAM: The attraction is doubled. (They both smile)
MOORE: It's also where we need to hit if we want to damage the shield.
SAM: The Galio was probably there because it's the safest place to monitor the generator without being too close to it. This is where the attraction is at its weakest.
LORNE: Ok. Let's say that you're right.
MOORE: We are.
LORNE: Don't make me slap you, doc. (Moore nods, Sam and Teyla both look at each other) How do you suggest we get the jumper to that same position without getting sucked in ourselves? As much as I like Colonel Sheppard, I'm not keen on being crushed or burned to death to save him.
SAM: I would never suggest that.
MOORE: No one is going to die, Major. (He opens another page on the computer) Colonel Carter and I already have a solution. (Lorne and Teyla look)
TEYLA: It's... a grapple system?
MOORE: Yes. Just like the one Colonel Sheppard used to save Doctor McKay when he was stuck underwater. Except we don't do the pulling.
LORNE: The Daedalus. They grapple us instead. (Moore smiles. He pauses) It could work.
MOORE: All we'll have to do next is to launch the Naquadah bomb. It should... weaken the shield long enough for us to make a radio contact.
TEYLA: And you're sure THIS will work?
MOORE: (Looks at Sam) Only one way to find out.

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On Zakmus.

Shepp is getting his gear with Kapp. Zelenka is watching them.

SHEPP: Are you sure you don't want to come with, doc?
ZELENKA: I'll only slow you down, Colonel.
SHEPP: Fair enough.
KAPP: Any messages you'd like us to tell Doctor McKay when we find him?
ZELENKA: Not really. (Salima arrives with Palus and Doctor Keller)
SALIMA: May I ask where you are going, Colonel Sheppard?
SHEPP: Get the rest of my team?
SALIMA: I told you, this is not possible.
SHEPP: And I told you, I'm not asking. (He starts to leave)
SALIMA: The program I created was not accurate. Your friends might as well be on the opposite side of the planet. And this is a very big planet.
SHEPP: We'll take our chances.
PALUS: (Sees them passing in front of him) They may have been captured by the wraiths.
SHEPP: (Stops to talk to him) One more reason to go find them. (He is about to get out)
SALIMA: (Reluctant to talk) They have queens. (Shepp stops)
ZELENKA: What?
SALIMA: (She pauses and hesitates) They made an alliance with two other families.
KAPP: Two others? You mean that there are 3 queens out there? (Salima looks down)
ZELENKA: I thought queens hated each other.
PALUS: Not as much as they hate us. And they're very strong queens too. They go to battle themselves, they hunt for pleasure. They... killed 6 of our people. And I'm not even counting the humans they had prisoners on their ships when they arrived here.
SHEPP: We've killed queens before.
PALUS: Not those queens, you haven't. Please, Colonel.

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Somewhere on Zakmus.

There is a wraith queen. She is wearing battle clothes, and she looks very fierce and strong. She is walking in the forest with 8 other wraiths. They are being very quiet. She arrives near a tree. She climbs on it, still quietly. She arrives on one branch, then jumps onto the tree next to it, then onto another one, and a last one. She did not make a noise. She looks down and sees Rodney sitting down, his back against the tree. She waits and she sees Marshall giving Rodney some water. She looks a little further and she sees Ronon and the rest of the group. She smiles. She pushes a button on a device on her wrist.

Rodney is taking the water. He drinks.

MCKAY: Can't we just... find a place to rest, get some sleep? I'm sure Gorkin would appreciate that.
GORKIN: I know you're trying to be nice, Doctor McKay. But I rather keep moving and not be eaten by a wraith. Thank you.
MCKAY: Well, it's your leg...
MARSHALL: We shouldn't even be stopping right now, not when it's dark like this. (Ronon is still silent, and looks around)
SWALO: Where are we even going?
MARSHALL: Wherever there are no wraiths?
SWALO: Do you think we'll find the others?
MCKAY: No, they're probably too far out from us.
MCQUIN: How would you know?
MCKAY: Because if Sheppard was around, you'd know it. You'd smell it and you'd hear it.
SWALO: They may also not be on the planet. (They look at him) What? We don't even know how that program works exactly.
MARSHALL: Well, geez. Thanks for your optimism Swalo.
SWALO: No, I didn't mean that.
RONON: (Looks at him, angry) We leave in 5 minutes.