Enigma
Arriving in a world that has been devastated by a volcanic disturbance
(which Daniel compares to Pompeii), the team finds survivors of the disaster
amidst the ruins. One survivor, a young man, regains consciousness long
enough to plead with Sam, "Help us." The team rescues ten survivors and
take them to the SGC. At the team mission debriefing with Hammond, the
general congratulates them on the rescue. The team makes their report:
Apparently these people are part of a culture that is technologically ahead
of Earth. They were killed or wounded trying to reach the Stargate before
the disaster. Technologically advanced? Hammond questions. If these people
were brought to that world from Earth, how could they be ahead of Earth
in technology? Daniel has a theory--Earth had the Dark Ages, in which scientific
and technological advancements were retarded. That means Earth could be
as much as 800 years behind the Tollan in those areas. The meeting is interrupted
when the spokesman for the rescued humans requests to speak with the team.
When they arrive in the infirmary, the spokesman wants to know where he
is and who they are. "You're on a planet called Earth," Hammond informs
him. "These people saved you." The man glares. "Nothing could be further
from the truth." He argues that they had a rescue transport on the way.
"Well, half your people were already dead, I don't think it would have
gotten there in time," argues Jack. "Perhaps that's more of a problem for
you than it was for us," the man says coldly, adding that he finds it difficult
to believe such 'primitive' people could have deciphered the gate. Jack
is becoming irritated with the unpleasant man, but it's Teal'c who speaks
in Earth's defense. Hammond interrupts, asking who the man is. He introduces
himself as Omack from the world Tollan. Omack knows of the Goa'ulds, but
his people do not interact with them. So, Earth and Tollan have a common
enemy, Hammond points out. Omack gives him another cold stare, "Did I mention
an enemy?" Omack is not interested in overtures of friendship, he wants
back everything that was taken from his people and then demands that they
be returned to Tollan. Daniel urges him to wait until the volcanos to calm.
In the meanwhile, Daniel says, he would like to learn about their world
and customs. Omack refuses. The team gives up on the disagreeable alien
and leaves the infirmary. On the way out, the man Carter found on Tollan
awakens. As she passes, he stares at her and Sam returns hi gaze. Daniel
finds Sam in the embarkment room working on a miniature UAV to send through
the gate to check on Tollan. Daniel remarks that he has been trying to
talk to the Tollans more, but they don't answer, they only ask more questions.
In fact, he says, one of them was asking a lot of questions about Sam.
"I thought they weren't interested in us," she says. "Oh, I didn't say
*us*, I said *you*," Daniel teases. Hammond thinks Sam may be able to get
more answers out of their guests and wants to see Sam. Hammond introduces
Sam to her admirer, Narim. The general startles Carter by suggesting that
she take their guest on a tour of the outdoors, since Narim has expressed
interest in the planet...provided Narim stays with Sam, Hammond admonishes.
"You have my word," Narim says. With guards escorting them at a discreet
distances, Sam and Narim take a walk around the base, enjoying the views
of the surrounding forests. Narim thanks her for SG-1 rescuing him and
his people and asks her to thank her friends. She suggests he tells them
himself, but Narim can't. In fact, he shouldn't be talking to Sam. Why
not? she asks. He changes the subject, instead talking about her rescue
of him on Tollan. While he was dying, he tells her, he mistook Sam for
a mythological Tollan angel, supposed to appear at the moment of death.
They were believed to have been very beautiful, he adds, and Sam seemed
to fit the description (which makes Carter blush). He also spoke with Daniel
and learned that Sam is a brilliant scientist. Narim asks if it permitted
for Sam to tell him about her world...for instance, he stares in astonishment
when he sees a bald eagle. "A flying animal!" he gasps. Sam smiles, "Yeah,
we call them birds." "Are there other animals?" he wants to know, adding
regretfully that there have not been animals on Tollan for many generations.
She offers to bring him pictures of other animals, and Narim is pleased
by the offer...but cautions that Omack shouldn't know. "He's not as harsh
as he seems," Narim apologizes to baffled Sam, "He is only trying to protect
us...and you." "From what?" Sam wants to know. Narim looks meaningfully
at the guards watching them, and, instead of answering, suggests they go
back inside. The flying UAV is launched through the gate to return to Tollan.
It surveys the planet. "Temperature: Ground--1700 degrees Fahrenheit,"
Sam reads, "Air—seems to be in pockets ranging from 1500 degrees down to
200." "Sounds like L.A.," Jack quips. Sam also notes that the atmosphere
is mostly pyroclastics—salt and ash. Unbreathable. Plus, the lava is flowing
towards the Tollan Stargate. In a couple of days, the gate will be gone.
"Well, it looks like we've got some guests for a while," Jack notes. Daniel
and Sam inform Omack, whose only comment is "nature succeeded where we
failed." He admits that, because of the disaster, his team stayed to dismantle
the gate after evacuations were complete. That way no one would go through
to the dying world and be harmed. Unfortunately, the world to which the
Tollans evacuated cannot be reached by the Gate. He needs a ship...which
Earth doesn't have. If the Tollans can't go home and don't wish to stay
on Earth, Hammond says, the question becomes "where do they send the Tollans?"
At the staff meeting, Jack has a suggestion: "You know, General, we have
done some fairly good deeds out there. Maybe we should try calling in some
markers." Jack and Teal'c are assigned to find a planet for the Tollans.
Meanwhile, Hammond returns the Tollans' technology to Omack and assures
him that SGC is trying to find a place to relocate his people. Omack is
concerned the Tollans won't have a say in where they are sent, and Daniel
promises him that self-determination is important to the people of Earth.
Meanwhile, Hammond tells Omack that the Tollans are restricted to the premises.
"Are we prisoners?!" Omack exclaims. No, Hammond and Daniel promises him,
it's only a precaution for the safety of the Tollans and the Earth people.
Omack stares back skeptically. Sam pays Narim a visit (he is, at the time,
puzzling over the purpose of bed sheets as he makes his bunk). She has
brought him the pictures, and--to his delight—a cat (named Schroeder).
"I never thought I'd see a living animal," he says. Sam attempts to explain
the humor of the cat's name to Narim—it is named after an Earth physicist
named Irwin Schroedinger's theory that if you place a cat in a box and
add a can of poison gas activated by the decay of a radioactive atom, at
any one instant the cat would be both dead and alive. Narim understands
the principle—because an atom's state is indeterminate until measured by
an outside observer (though he needs reassurance that Schroedinger never
actually tried the experiment). It is one of many misconceptions of elementary
science, Narim says. Misconceptions? Sam gapes. Is he saying the Tollans
have mastered quantum physics? Omack arrives before Narim can answer. Sam
leaves them alone. "I did not tell her anything," Narim tells Omack. Jack
and Teal'c have good news--many of the worlds they have asked about sheltering
the Tollans are eager to help. Hammond burst into the scene: The Tollans
have escaped. A chase through the surrounding forest follows. They corner
the Tollans. Omack steps forward. "We were merely observing the stars,"
Omack says. When Jack orders them back inside, Omack comments that they
are, in fact, SGC's prisoners. The team puzzles over *how* the Tollans
escaped. The video taken of the escape was exposed to some kind of interference,
though it might be salvageable. The team and Omack meet with representatives
from The Touched (see "The Broca Divide"), a.k.a. "The Land of Light",
who offer the Tollans shelter and the resources of their world. "You have
no idea who or what we are," Omack coldly informs him. That doesn't matter,
they are in need and they are friends of the SGC. "His planet is unacceptable
to us. These people are even more primitive than you," Omack tells Hammond.
Sam asks Narim about Omack's stubbornness. Narim tells of a disastrous
contact between Tollan and another world. The Tollans gave that world some
of their technology, and that world turned it into a weapon of war. They
destroyed not only their own world, but caused the chain of events that
destroyed Tollan. Omack also spoke the truth about the previous evening,
they *were* looking at the stars, calculating the distance from Earth to
the new Tollan homeworld. It is too far to reach by ship. Have they thought
about staying on Earth? she asks. "I would gladly stay...if only to spend
more time with a certain inhabitant of this planet," Narim tells her. "I
speak of course of Schroeder." Omack has another opinion of the previous
night—it was a test of SGC, and they responded as he expected. They used
threat and force to solve their problem; they could have come to the Tollans
unarmed. Jack disagrees—Omack hasn't exactly done anything to earn his
trust, he won't put his team at risk. And Omack will not risk *his* people
in the Terrans' care. Why doesn't he let his people decide for themselves?
The Terrans only want the Tollans for their technology, Omack accuses.
Jack admits he wouldn't mind knowing how they broke out of SGC. They don't
need to know that, but know that the Tollans can escape again...any time,
Omack warns. The surveillance video is restored, and the team sees the
Tollans escape literally by walking through the walls. "Whoah—cool," Jack
says. Teal'c remarks that this is technology far beyond that of the Goa'ulds.
Colonel Mayborne, NID, arrives in time to hear the Jaffa's remark. "What
happened to Kennedy?" Jack asks. "Promoted. I took his place," Mayborne
says. "Promoted? Talk about failing upwards," Jack cracks. Why is Mayborne
here? Hammond wants to know. He's come to take custody of the Tollans.
"Excuse me? These are people we're talking about," Daniel adds. Jack agrees—these
people have rights. Mayborne disagrees. Hammond won't release the Tollans,
citing the need to quarantine them. When Mayborne tries to cite Presidential
Authorization, Hammond counters that he too has the president's authorization...and
orders Mayborne to wait in guest quarters. When the colonel goes, Hammond
tells the team that he has only bought them an extra day—find an alternative
for the Tollans before Mayborne can take them into custody. Sam tells Narim
of the events. Omack was right, Narim says, they will use the Tollans'
knowledge for war like Cerita did. Sam urges him to get Omack to accept
shelter on another planet. Narim's remarks about 'primitive' Earth earns
a rebuke from Sam. He apologizes, "You are anything but primitive, Sammantha.
What your mind doesn't know, your heart fills in." Daniel is questioning
Mayborne's intentions for the Tollans. Mayborne wants the weapons first
and foremost (for use in fighting the Goa'ulds). Hammond unhappily informs
the team that Mayborne has authorization to take the Tollans. The team
is outraged—the Tollans will be subjected to forced intellectual labor
and a lifetime's imprisonment, they know. They'll have everything they
need, Mayborne says. Everything except a life, Jack fires back. Hammond
and the team meet outside, for privacy. They want to save the Tollans.
It will mean court marshal, Hammond says. "General, I'm about a hair away
from not caring," Jack says. Besides, *Daniel* can't be court-marshalled.
Omack, meanwhile, has learned of Mayborne's intentions and is furious.
Daniel explains that Mayborne is from another part of their government
and that SGC is trying to protect the Tollans. Well, they aren't doing
a very good job, Omack scoffs. Do they have a new place for the Tollans
to go? Daniel has one idea, but doesn't know how to get them there. The
Nox were as advanced as the Tollans, and had a similar attitude about the
Terrans. They sealed their gate and Daniel doesn't have the technology
to communicate with the Nox to tell them to open their gate. He's hoping
the Tollans do. "Then we must go back to the mountaintop," Omack says.
Daniel stipulates he must go with them. Omack considers this, and agrees.
The Tollans use their technology to open the same rift as before, permitting
them to walk through the walls and escape. On the mountaintop, Daniel gives
them the coordinates to the Nox's world and the Tollans are able to send
a message. Won't it take a long time for that laser to reach the Nox? Daniel
asks. Omack patiently explains that the distance is not so far, if one
is able to fold space. Well, not precisely, Omack says. He would not understand.
Daniel just hopes the Nox do. Narim pays Sam a visit, startling her by
walking through the wall. "Oh my god, how do you do that?" she asks. Very...carefully,"
he grins. He has come to say good-bye. Even if Daniel's plan doesn't work,
the Tollans will be leaving. He laments that he will be leaving her. When
Sam says that he will most likely forget about her, Narim gives her a gift—a
Tollan device that records emotions. Specifically his emotions for her.
"I don't know what to say," Sam says after using the device. "We have a
custom that expresses more than words," Narim says and then kisses her.
"We have that custom, too," Sam answers before kissing him back. Daniel
walks in on the kiss, "Oops." Narim touches Sam's cheek, and then turns
to go. Mayborne is making his plans to move the refugees when he and Hammond
are informed that the Tollans escaped. Alarms blare—the Gate has been activated
from off-world. The Gate is opening, as is the iris. As Mayborne, Hammond,
Sam, and the SG crew watch, Daniel and the Tollans enter the Embarkment
Room. Mayborne threatens Daniel with court-marshal. "He's not in the military,
colonel," Jack says. "And I think it would be kind of tough to find a civilian
law to cover this." Daniel ignores the colonel's threats. The Gate opens,
and Lya from the Nox steps through, greeting Daniel with a smile. The Nox
have recognized the Tollan as an advanced race. They are welcome to join
the Nox, she tells them. Omack pauses to compliment Daniel, "Narim was
right about you. Perhaps in time we'll meet again." He pats Daniel on the
shoulder. Narim, carrying Schroeder, pauses to give one last sad smile
to Carter. Mayborne threatens to have the soldiers shoot the Tollans. Lya
raises her arms, the gate flashes, and the Tollans vanish into thin air.
Lya smiles, and goes through the gate. "God I love those people," Jack
grins. Teal'c joins Daniel in the embarkment room. Mayborne frowns and
departs. The rest of the team and Hammond join their friends in the gate
room. There will be hell to pay when Mayborne gets back to Washington,
Hammond knows. Daniel smiles. He's remembering what the Nox, Anteaus, told
them once—the very young do not always do as they're told.