Continuing Stargate

[asdfgh]

I just hope we get a couple of episodes before s09 goes off to college because his probably going to have even less time to write new episodes when his in school.

[bradly08]

I would imagine he would TRY to get the season finished off.

[AVFan]

Do you have any update on the next ep s09? I'm not trying to be impatient, I just want to know if there will be a big wait on the next one so I stop looking as often as I am...

[s09119]

Sorry, it's just going to take a little longer now that I have college to contend with... but you asked, so here you go!

[s09119]

15x19 "Apocalypto"
Synopsis: The team's arrival on a primitive planet sets into motion the details of an ancient prophecy foretelling the end of the world, forcing SG-1 to question if they really have run into the power of the gods.

Spoiler:

In the middle of an immense jungle far from Earth, a stargate is coming online, its chevrons flashing orange-red one by one. As the last one locks in, the event horizon flashes into existence, and the vortex kawooshes outwards before stabilizing. After a moment, SG-1 steps through, carrying their traditional offworld equipment but dressed in lighter-than-normal gear given this world's tropical climate.

Almost at once, Vala begins complaining about the heat here, and laments that her hair is going to look terrible by the time they meet any of the locals. Daniel just rolls his eyes, pointing out that they didn't travel all this way for her to flirt with the natives, but she persists in her tirade nonetheless. On the other side of the stone platform they've arrived on, Mitchell has buried himself in his radio conversation with the ISGC, listening to Colonel Taylor's reminder that they're doing repair work on the iris in a few hours and that they won't be able to dial back in for a day or so. If they want to leave the planet, they'll need to hit up the Beta Site. Cameron radios back an affirmative, then walks over to where Maj. Eaton is staring slackjawed out at the surrounding area and asks what's so fascinating. He only has to get to the edge of the platform to see; they're standing atop a massive Mayan-style pyramid stretching high above a sprawling city of stone. As impressive as the sight is, though, the only way down seems to be an agonizingly-long set of steps, and SG-1 unenthusiastically begins their descent.

By the time the team reaches the bottom of the pyramid, the sky has clouded over and is threatening rain. Thunder rolls ominously in the distance, and Eaton remarks that it might be best to find some place to stay until the storm has rolled over. Luckily for them, a local greeting party arrives just then, fitting right into the look of their ancient counterparts on Earth. The largest of the warriors that approach, undoubtedly the group's leader, introduces himself as K'iche, and welcomes SG-1 on behalf of the village elders. Looking skyward, he remarks that they seem to have chosen a bad time to arrive, and offers them shelter inside the pyramid along with most of the citizens until the bad weather has passed. Grateful, Mitchell accepts the offer and leads the others after the warrior into the massive stone structure.

Once inside, just beating a torrential downpour by seconds, the team sees that the pyramid isn't just a pile of bricks; an enormous main hall greets them right away, full of hundreds of villagers escaping the rain. K'iche explains that the old temple here has traditionally been a place of safety during the monsoon seasons, as it stopped acting as a place of worship several hundred years ago in favor of newer buildings on the edge of the settlement. Glancing around appraisingly at the beautiful carvings and archietecture, Daniel asks why they'd ever want to stop coming here, to which their guide replies that some of the scripts in the catacombs frighten some of the people. It may sound silly, but that's just the way it is here.

K'iche leads the group to an open spot near one of the walls and says that they can rest in here and talk amongst the people if they so desire. They get visitors through the ancient ring from time to time, and they are not afraid to exchange pleasantries with a strange newcomer from beyond the stars. Vala thanks him for the advice before he leaves, and then he and his band of warriors head back toward the entrance, intent on gathering any stragglers out in the village before they get caught up in any gusts of wind or lashing rain.

Meanwhile, back on Earth at the makeshift ISGC, Col. Taylor is organizing a research team to head out after SG-1 once the repairs on the iris are finished. The opportunity to study a Mayan culture still at the stage it would have been when the Europeans wiped them out on Earth is unprecedented, and no one wants to pass up on this chance. Unfortunately, though, the alignment of the iris really couldn't wait any longer, as they risked not being able to close it properly should an enemy dial in.

While they wait for the installation process to be completed, Taylor and the researchers stand at the other end of the control room, watching a television showing the continuing construction outside. The last few piles of rubble are being cleared from the streets, and new frameworks for new buildings are reaching up into what remains of the Manhattan skyline. In the distance, the mostly-still-standing Empire State Building towers over the fallen city, the tallest remaining structure visible for miles around. The world is slowly returning to life, but there's still a long way to go.

On the jungle world, Rebbecca has gone to the entrance of the Mayan pyramid to watch the storm as it whips overhead. The rain is coming down much harder now, and thunder can be heard rumbling nearby, threatening lightning soon enough. Following her out from inside, Mitchell asks how long she thinks this is going to go on for, but Eaton just shrugs; the locals claim that the wet season is nearing its peak, and sometimes these downpours continue for many, many hours. Mitchell sighs, muttering that there's always something that goes wrong with a mission, but he supposes he should be happy that bad weather's the worst of it. After all, his grandma used to tell stories about how half the town's buildings once caved in all right in a row one week. And he'll take a little rain over the overhanging temple coming down on them any day.

Eaton, grinning, asks what the odds are of that story ever actually taking place, but before Mitchell can answer, a blood-curdling scream echoes across the area, and the two soldiers look outside to see a native woman and her children dashing for the safety of the pyramid. Behind them, a decorative fountain is bubbling over, but not from an abundance of water; instead, dark-red liquid is spurting out, shooting high into the sky. Taking only one look back at Daniel and Vala deeper inside, Eaton grabs her pack and says she'll get a sample of whatever that is, and Cameron moves to calm down the terrified onlookers nearby.

The Lt. Colonel grabs the incoming mother as she rushes into the structure, asking her if she and her children alright. The woman nods, explaining that they live on the outskirts of the city and had to make their way here around several flooded plazas, then asks why the life-fluid is bubbling up from the fountain outside. Mitchell, not having any idea himself, just promises to find out what's going on as soon as he can, then motions for the other members of his team to join Eaton on the other side of the square.

Out in the pouring rain, Rebbecca turns around as they approach, her face set in distress as she shakes a vial of the red fluid in her hand. Looking between the fountain and his teammate, Daniel asks if that's what he thinks it is, and the young Major has the unfortunate duty to inform him that it is; this is definitely blood, and a lot of it at that, as it's still spurting a good ten feet into the sky, with more and more pumping out every second. Whatever's happening, it can't be good.

A short time later, Daniel has managed to track down K'iche as his group of warriors escorts a few unsheltered citizens into the safety of the pyramid. Jackson explains the incident with the fountain spewing blood, and asks if there may be any clues as to why this is happening in the planet's history. Maybe this has occurred before, or maybe there's some story or prophecy of something that hints at this... and at that, K'iche holds up a hand, thinking. Now that Daniel mentions it, some of the ancient scripts in the pyramid catacombs do speak of a "well of life-fluid" spouting from "beyond the temple walls," and that is supposed to take place after a "great torrent from the skies." This seems to fit, but the glyphs were written thousands of years ago, back when the Goa'uld rules their world. They can't possible actually mean something, can they? Whatever the case, Daniel asks if they can see the catacombs to check for themselves, and K'iche asks him to wait and gather his team while he checks with the village elders.

When he returns, he leads SG-1 through the mass of panicky villages down through a maze of tunnels and into the pyramid catacombs, several levels underground and blessedly dry and leak-free. K'iche explains that the people try to avoid coming down here as much as they can, to keep away from the histories spelling out the many abuses their false gods levies against them. He only remembers this particular prophecy because it was written in the deepest of the crypts, the very first one to be built in long-gone times. It was probably inscribed just after the temple itself was constructed, and the villagers have always assumed it was just their "god" attempting to scare them into submission with a lie.

At length, they reach the indicated tomb, and Mitchell and Daniel pry the stone doors apart while Eaton and Vala get out their high-powered flashlights to illuminate the pitch-black chamber. An ornate coffin lies in the center of the room, but no one really pays any mind to it and instead begins searching the walls for the piece of script that they're looking for. It only takes a moment for Cameron to come across what looks like they're target, seeing as an entire section of one wall is covered, not in Mayan-style glyphs, but in full Ancient. Startled to find this here of all places, Jackson comes over and scans the text, muttering that this bears an awful lot of similarity to the prophecy left on Maybourne's planet ("It's Good to be King"), suggesting that maybe Janus left it sometime in the past.

Pointing out that time may be of the essence, Vala tells Daniel to hurry up, and he begins translating; just as their guide said, it details a prophecy beginning with terrible and unending rains, followed by the "sacred fountain" bubbling red with blood. After that, the skies will darken with the arrival of the "midnight sun," the ancient city shall burn with cleansing fire, and last, but not least, the heavens shall bring destruction from the stars upon the planet. Breathless, Eaton mutters that this is a prediction of the Apocalypse, the end of the world. Under his breath, Mitchell remarks that this is all just nonsense, and that there's no way this is ever actually going to come true. Chiming in, Daniel reminds the Lt. Col. of his Christian upbringing, remarking that stories like this have been found in the Bible and nearly every other religious writing for untold centuries. It's not exactly unusual.

(Beginning of "Apocalypto," see next two posts for more.)

[s09119]

(More of "Apocalypto," see previous post for beginning and next part for end.)

Spoiler:

Not quite convinced that this isn't some sort of freaky coincidence, Vala insists that she'll need a little more proof than this before she starts freaking out, a sentiment echoed by the others. Slightly unnerved, though, K'iche suggests that they return to the surface, and the group gathers up their belongings, Daniel taking a picture of the prophecy on a digital camera for reference, and departs the catacombs.

When they finally exit the tunnel and emerge inside the main room of the temple, they see that almost all of the villagers have moved outside, standing in the pouring rain to stare up into the sky. Noting the sudden reddish hue of the land, Eaton frowns, saying that it was morning when they arrived, and that dusk shouldn't be here for another several hours. But Jackson, pulling out his camera, says that this can't be what he thinks it is, and leads the group outside. Bringing up the picture of the prophetic script, he recites the passage about the darkening skies and the arrival of the "midnight sun," and SG-1 emerges from the pyramid in time to see its coming; a total solar eclipse is taking place, and as the moon slides in front of the star, the red-hued light fades more and more... and finally, all that is left is darkness across the city.

Shocked that these events do, in fact, seem to be coming true, Mitchell suggests that they dial the gate for the Beta Site and begin evacuating the village, just to be on the safe side. Vala agrees, muttering that there's no point in dying should any more of the steps to the prophecy come to pass, but Daniel is adamant that there has to be a logical explanation for all this. After all, the only higher powers they know of that could cause an event like this are the Ancients, and they have no reason to want to wipe out a peaceful society like this one. And if Janus did, in fact, foresee this and write down a warning, chances are he also saw a way to ensure survival at the end of the day. Giving in, Mitchell agrees to stick around and try to do a little more, but he also says that if it looks like all's lost, they're gating out of here immediately. Satisfied, Jackson sprints back into the temple to look for some more clues, leaving the others to try and placate the terrified citizenry.

At the ISGC, Col. Taylor is frowning at a computer screen with Mitchell's face on it. The first half of repairs on the iris are finished, allowing for a small window of gate activity, and a MALP was sent through to check on SG-1's progress, but the team's news wasn't exactly comforting. Cameron says that it might be best to abort the research team for now, all things considered, but also relays their decision to stay offworld to try and investigate this "prophecy" a bit more. While he's definitely uncomfortable with the prospect of a planet blowing itself to Hell with SG-1 still on it, Taylor agrees that they should try and help the natives if they can. That said, he makes Mitchell's earlier affirmation a direct order, and tells the Lt. Col. to high-tail it to the stargate if anything goes wrong. With nothing more to add, the connection is cut, and the repairs recommence.

Meanwhile, Daniel has set up shop in the deepest level of the catacombs, marking off sections of text written in Ancient or near-Ancient script as he tries to find more hints about the coming Apocalypse. Sitting on the old tomb nearby, Vala braids her hair and asks what the odds are of something like this happening for real. Taking a break from his analysis, Daniel muses that it's highly unlikely, given that each unlikely event must follow one another in a perfect chain, not deviating from the order specified in the prophecy. From time to time, the precognitive guesses of past figures do end up coming true later on, but never like this, and never in any way that dooms the world to destruction. There has to be some reason why this is all taking place, and he's determined to figure it out and prove that there's no danger. Vala, though, is growing worried that perhaps it's some kind of Goa'uld mass-planetary booby trap, designed to ensure that if the reigning parasite was deposed, the people would still suffer in times to come. Daniel admits it's a possibility, but one he certainly hopes isn't true.

Outside, it's still near-total-dark, and the people are beginning to panic. Torches placed around the city cannot be lit because of the unending deluge, and the few lights inside the pyramid aren't enough to truly dispel the fear of the suddenly-black world beyond. K'iche informs Mitchell that the village elders are worried what might become of settlements farther away, that do not have the luxury of the stargate atop the Great Temple to escape into in times of need. They have sent runners in an attempt to establish some communication, but with it so dark and the weather so bad, it would be easy for the scouts to become lost or disoriented. Confused, Cameron asks why they weren't told of these other cities before, and K'iche just shrugs, adding that some of the small settlements declare war on theirs from time to time, hoping to capture the pyramid for themselves. These assaults, however, have always been repelled, and he assures Mitchell that there is nothing to fear from the neighboring tribes.

Turning around, the Lt. Col. sees Eaton approaching with a group of native warriors, having helped them do a sweep of the settlement for anymore stragglers who may be scared and helpless on the outskirts of the city. She says that there doesn't seem to be anyone else out there, which is a relief now that they have darkness to contend with as well as rain. Even her ISGC-issue flashlight is having trouble seeing a few feet ahead of her, and she admits that being out there in the abandoned areas can get creepy at times, and she's certainly glad to be back in the pool of light cast by the pyramid's torches.

Suddenly, the entire plaza lights up even brighter, and Eaton happily remarks that Mitchell's done a great job of finding more firewood. But her CO says that they didn't gather anymore, and they soon see what, exactly, is causing this new brightness; they both look up to see flames racing across the tops of nearby buildings, and pools of fire erupt all over the place, seemingly out of nowhere, and burn despite the rain. Shocked at another part of the prophecy coming true, this time in reference to the city alight with cleansing fire, the two soldiers herd the villagers back inside the pyramid, radioing Daniel and Vala to get up here as soon as possible.

Once the team is together again, they try to get a handle on how they can tackle this problem, if at all. It shouldn't be possible for fire to leap from building to building like this, especially since they're all made of stone, and yet that's what they're seeing happen right in front of them. Convinced that maybe they really are dealing with forces a bit too much for them, K'iche asks if his people can take shelter with the Tau'ri on their own world. Mitchell agrees, telling Daniel to pack up his stuff and get ready to evacuate; if the last portion of the prophecy is death from above, they're leaving before that takes place, too.

As the fires rage on in the dark, Daniel and Vala run down the tunnels of the catacombs to where they left his stuff. They stow it in their packs and head right back the way they came, hurrying as quickly as they can. They arrive to see their two other teammates attempting to coordinate an orderly procession of villagers up the temple steps, and Mitchell shouts for them to go dial the Beta Site and alert them to what's going on. As the flames continue to dance in the pouring rain, Jackson and Vala leap up the wet stone stairway to the platform at the pyramid's top where the stargate sits inactive. They dash past the first group of villagers making their way ever-higher and head over to the DHD, punching in the seven symbols they need and bringing the portal online.

Tapping his radio, Daniel tells the technician on the other end of the wormhole that they're sending through refugees of a natural disaster, and that they should expect over a thousand people to be arriving. Luckily, as the technician points out, the refugee camps from before they retook Earth are still set up, so it shouldn't be a real problem to house the incoming displaced for as long as necessary. Vala relays this good news to Mitchell, who orders them to get through the gate now and help the natives as they come through the wormhole. Jackson argues for a moment, insisting that they shouldn't split up, but Cameron is adamant that the situation is deteriorating here, and that they should get out while they can. He and Eaton will stay as long as possible, then follow, but Mitchell insists that if he radios for the iris to be closed, it should be sealed and not re-opened. Despite his reservations, Daniel relents and drags Vala through the gate.

As she helps to shepherd the natives up the steps, Eaton wipes some sweat from her brow, glancing at the still-eclipsed sun and wondering how long this can possibly go on for. Mitchell tries to reassure her by rattling off a list of facts related to solar eclipses, one being that they don't last very long. But, as Rebbecca points out, that only applies to eclipses of Sol on Earth... for all they know, this one could last for days, depending on the unique rotation of this planet, its moon, and their particular orbit around the sun. At the very least, though, they can be thankful that the final part of the prophecy—death from the skies—has yet to take place.

And, in traditional SG team luck, the heavens choose that moment to let loose a roaring fireball, and Mitchell and Eaton look up in shock as a blazing boulder slams into a nearby building, crashing through the stone with ease and slamming into the plaza. Taking only a second to stare at the smoldering rock, Cameron shoves Eaton up the steps, muttering that this would be the time when they get the Hell out of here. As two more boulders crash into the city, one completely shattering a smaller temple in the distance, the two SG-1 members race to the top of the pyramid, desperately trying to get there before something big heads their way.

Just as they reach the last set of stairs, though, Rebbecca looks back and sees one of the burning rocks headed straight for them. She shouts out a warning and yanks Mitchell back, sending them both tumbling into a group of natives climbing behind them. They're both forced to look on in horror as the boulder slams directly into the high platform upon which the stargate rests, crushing a dozen of so natives and cracking the ancient stone into pieces. And then, after a few seconds of apprehensive wobbling, the platform collapses, sending the interplanetary portal crashing down into the pyramid itself. The two Tau'ri rush to the side of the newly-formed abyss and stare down, their hearts sinking as they see the immensely-heavy stargate plunge through floor after floor until it finally comes to a rest over a hundred feet down.

[s09119]

(End of "Apocalypto," see previous two posts for beginning.)

Spoiler:

Not knowing what to do now, they look back at the city, watching as flaming rocks from above continue to pour down and smash through thousand-year-old structures. But suddenly, Mitchell frowns, noticing something odd; these rocks aren't coming from space, like meteors would. No, they're arcing over the jungle and hitting the settlement, more like they're being thrown from land just out of sight due to the rain and darkness. It was impossible to tell before given their position at the bottom of the pyramid, but from up here it's very clear that something's not right. He grabs Eaton and tells her to come with him, and together they race down the stone steps, picking up an astonished K'iche along the way. Tapping his radio, Mitchell tells Daniel and Vala to hold tight, and that he thinks he can end this Apocalypse before it has a chance to play itself out.

After a few frantic minutes of sprinting through the crumbling village under the hellish fires raging around them, the trio plunges into the surrounding jungle. They're only running for another minute or so before strange sounds can be heard nearby, adding another piece to this mysterious puzzle. They continue on another few dozen meters, and then Eaton raises her fist, motioning for Mitchell and K'iche to join her where she stands looking down at a jungle clearing. The three of them waddle over and peer over a bank of rocks, and there, sitting in the pouring rain, is a small army of natives, firing off flaming rock after flaming rock from their host of catapults. Stunned, K'iche explains that these warriors bear the markings of their most-powerful rival tribe, ones who have been attempting to conquer the Great Temple for almost a hundred years now. He doesn't understand what this means, but Cameron thinks he's finally figured it out. Shouldering his P90, he pulls Eaton down into the clearing with him, shooting off a few rounds into the crowd of natives and telling them to lay down their weapons.

One of them, presumably their leader, steps forward and brandishes a spear, shouting to his followers that these offworlders cannot be allowed to foil this glorious day. He offers one chance for the intruders to lay down their arms, and when the guns stay up, he leans back and hurls his spear forward with all his might, sending it straight toward Mitchell's chest... but before it can hit, K'iche leaps in front of the Lt. Col. and snatches it out of the air, spinning it around to dispel its momentum before bringing it up in a guard position. Cameron shouts that that was a really stupid move, then pulls a pair of grenades out of his vest and tosses them over toward the catapults. A moment later, they explode, snapping the timbers into pieces and bringing all but one of them down. Eaton lines up a shot with her P90 and slices the ropes holding the launcher together apart, watching as the cradle tumbles off the rest of the weapon, leaving it useless. As if to signal that the threat has finally cleared, the rain even seems to slow a bit, and the solar eclipse at last comes to an end, allowing sunlight to shine down once more. The native army just stares, not sure what this all means, as Mitchell and Eaton exchange grateful smiles.

Sometime later, the stargate is just being raised into standing position inside the pyramid, with dozens of natives straining at various ropes to pull it upright. When it's in position again, an incoming wormhole connects, and Daniel, Vala, and an ISGC medical team come through the portal, all clearly relieved to see their friends standing a few feet away, safe and unharmed. While the medics head for the entrance to attend to those wounded in the doomsday affair, SG-1 reunites, ready to have some questions answered. First of all, Vala demands to know how Mitchell knew that the prophecy wasn't a real warning of the end of the world, and the Lt. Col. explains that it was easy once he realized that the flaming boulders they saw weren't meteors, given their trajectories. He knew that at the angles they were coming in, they had to be coming from surface launches, and it was just a matter of following them back to their source. Once the catapults were disabled, along with the changing weather and vanishing eclipse, the enemy natives took it as a sign that their gods had thrown favor onto the offworlders, and they turned on their leader at once.

Rebbecca goes on to add that K'iche determined that the enemy tribe had slathered a liquid not too dissimilar from the legendary "Greek fire" onto the city's buildings sometime during the last few nights, so that when they snuck in and set fire to the trails of now-indistinguishable-from-rain fluid, it looked like the stone itself had caught fire. They painted the same stuff onto the boulders they then lit on fire and launched at the temple, trying to make it appear that the Apocalypse myth was coming true and hoping to prompt a mass evacuation through the stargate so they could capture the settlement without need for violence. They used ancient astrological charts left behind by the Goa'uld to determine the day of the next solar eclipse, which happened to coincide with a massive storm rolling in off the coast. Seeing the one-in-a-million chance for the only two un-fake-able parts of the legend coming together, they decided to try and put into action the rest, starting with filling the underground aquifer that feeds the old fountain in front of the temple with blood from human sacrifices. All things considered, it was a remarkable plan that almost actually came to fruition.

As SG-1 nears the entrance to the pyramid, K'iche approaches them, leading the village elders in tow. He thanks the team for saving their people from conquest and routing the possibility of complete destruction, even if much of their settlement now lies in ruins. Hopefully, they will be able to rebuild in peace, with the other tribes too busy warring over leadership and who to blame for this recent failure to attack. Should they ever want anything of the people of this world, all they need do is ask. Eaton asks if they can be allowed to send the research team they have assembled through to interview some of the villagers, and the elders grant the request at once, more than happy to oblige. Then they and K'iche head back to the plaza outside, rejoining their people as they try to comprehend what has happened.

Watching them go, Daniel points out that there's no reason to think that the prophecy won't still come true some day; after all, there's no evidence it's a fake. If Janus really did leave a warning, then he's bound to have seen it happen for real eventually, and these people may now be so assured of their safety that they'll become complacent when that time comes. But Mitchell and Eaton are fairly sure that if the time comes to face Apocalypse, it won't be anything they can't handle.

Allowing themselves a laugh, the team walks out of the pyramid and into the blessedly-dry sunshine, ready to help the natives rebuild their city as another mission comes to a close.

[Rudy Pena]

Its great.

[thekillman]

awesome!

[s09119]

Again, sorry for the long wait between episodes; there's just a lot to do getting settled in here before classes start, and living in the city's just too fun not to go out every night haha. But rest assured, this isn't a dead project, just one that's going a little slower until I get into the swing of things.

[Crazy Tom]

'S all good.

Through, it did seem a bit anti-climatic.

[captain simms]

great eppy looking forward to the rest

[Shinto-Male]

where is Carter?

[s09119]

where is Carter?

Presumably still helping out with the protection of Earth and the reconstruction of its cities. She's just not in this episode is all.

[Alx]

im sorry that just wasnt worth the wait at all!
Totally lost intrest in this fic now.