Stargate SG-1 (1997–2007): Season 4, Episode 6 - Window of Opportunity - full transcript

Col. O'Neill and Teal'c realize they and their friends are trapped in a time loop.

Is it supposed to be doing that?

It's a coronal mass emission,
like a giant solar flare.

- But it's safe, right?
- That's what this equipment will find out.

Apart from disrupting the magnetic field,
it might cause an increase in radiation.

But it's safe, right?

As long as we don't
stay here too long, yes, sir.

Anyone explain that to Daniel?

I've encountered this script before.

It's, uh, similar in pronunciation to
a language on our planet called Latin.

As near as I can tell, the main body of
the text represents a planetary history.

I agree...But isn't it time for you
to return through the Stargate?



I don't understand the significance of
what this is. A sort of control mechanism.

It's obviously still in working order.
I wonder if that's...significant.

The storm is approaching, Dr Jackson.
The radiation may be dangerous for you.

Oh, yes. Major Carter will let us
know when we have to leave.

Now, this line recurs several times:
"Domavatus vestul motabilum."

"Conqueror of time."

In this context, I'd say more like
"Master of the uncertain past."

- You're a skilled linguist, Dr Jackson.
- Thank you.

I had the opportunity to hear the language
spoken a year or so ago, so...

What's that?

The geomagnetic disturbance
is reaching its peak. I have to act now.

I don't understand.

- All set up, sir.
- Good.

Let's hit it.



Daniel, let's go home.

Daniel?

- O'Neill.
- Yeah, I hear it.

Incoming wormhole.

What is that?

I have no idea, sir.

Are you doin' this?

- Stay away!
- What the hell are you doing?

Stay back!

Colonel!

Anyway, I'm sorry, but that just
happens to be how I feel about it.

What do you think?

What?

What do you think?

Colonel? Is something wrong?

Maybe.

Weren't we just somewhere else?

- Where?
- Some planet.

- When?
- Just now.

- No.
- Sure?

Yeah.

Everything just changed.

Sir, we've been sitting in the commissary
for the past half- hour.

- Really?
- You've gotten the two places confused.

- We're gonna be late for the briefing.
- Briefing?

Are you OK, or are you just trying
to avoid answering my question?

No, I'm fine.

What question?

Two weeks ago, SG-15 took these images
of solar activity on P4X- 639.

Analysis of the data indicates
a steady increase in the intensity.

Now, if I'm right, the explosions
that we're witnessing here...

..are just the precursor
to a greater violent ejection.

Major Carter? Have we not previously
been briefed concerning this matter?

- I was just gonna say that.
- Sir?

You wanna go to the planet and set up
some kind of remote observatory.

- Yes.
- We just did that.

- No, we didn't.
- I believe we did.

No, that's what the briefing is about.

I remember listening to Carter prattle on...

..about solar activity
and a...corona something.

Coronal mass emissions.
I was about to bring it up.

- There you go. How would I know that?
- Maybe you read my report.

Maybe he read your report?

I'm tellin' you guys,
we've done this before.

I am in agreement with O'Neill.

I am experiencing a great deal
of familiarity with these events.

Unscheduled offworld activation.

We have an unscheduled
incoming traveller, sir.

- It's SG-12.
- They're not due for days.

Receiving GDO transmission.

It's SG-12.

- Open the iris.
- One of them will be injured.

- What do you make of all of this, Major?
- Well, sir, I'm not sure.

SG-12's early return
was the result of an accident.

One of the team fell and broke his ankle.

How could Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill
know that was going to happen?

Both of them claim to have memories
of SG-1's mission to P4X- 639.

A mission that isn't scheduled
to start for six hours.

OK. So Sam was setting up instruments,
and...where was I?

You were by the altar deal with the guy.

Right. You're gonna need
to be a little more specific.

Malikai.

That's the alien archaeologist
SG-15 met on the first survey.

- I was looking forward to meeting him.
- You did.

You got along swell.

Anyway, a beam shot out from the ruins
around the altar and hit the Stargate.

There was a blinding flash of light.

Then I was back in the commissary
eating my Froot Loops.

I can't find anything wrong
with either of them.

We'll wait for the lab results to be sure,
but they appear to be in perfect health.

Except for remembering events
that haven't happened yet.

- But why Jack and Teal'c and not us?
- I'm not takin' any chances.

Until we figure out what's going on,
I'm postponing your mission to P4X- 639.

Jack. Wait up.

Um...I was thinking about what you said
about, uh, a beam coming out of the altar.

SG-15 took digital images
of the carvings on the ruins.

I was thinking there might be
some sort of clue.

Unfortunately it's the equivalent
of 400 pages of alien text.

If you give me details about
the layout of the ruins...

Gee, sorry, Dr Jackson.

Shoulda seen that comin'.

So...

So?

Don't you know what I'm gonna say?

Actually, by this time
we were on the planet.

It's all different now.

Oh.

Well, I was thinking about what you said
about a beam hitting the Stargate.

- What about it?
- After the flash,...

..you found yourself back here, reliving
the moments leading up to the mission.

Maybe you're not
remembering future events.

- Maybe you were sent back in time.
- For what? Six hours?

Well, it wouldn't be the first time.
The Stargate did send us back to 1969.

Good year.

So could this beam be a means
to access the gate's subspace field...

..in order to create some kind of
time inversion outside of subspace?

I knew you were gonna say that.

I guess I'm just thinkin' out loud.

I'm gonna go run a few simulations.

You run...Simulate.

Let me know how it turns out.
Keep me posted.

Keep me apprised.

The lab results confirm Dr Fraiser's
assessment. You're both in perfect health.

- Any more of these premonitions?
- Not for some time.

Can we go back to work, General, please?

I have no objection, as long as...

Unscheduled offworld activation.

D'oh!

What is that?

I'm not sure, sir.
I've never seen anything like it.

We have.

Anyway, I'm sorry, but that just
happens to be how I feel about it.

What do you think?

Colonel? Is something wrong?

Oh, yeah.

Somethin'.

- Two weeks ago, SG-15...
- We've done this.

We do this every day.

Not briefings in general, Daniel.
I'm talking about this briefing.

I'm talking about this day.

Colonel O'Neill is correct. Events do
appear to be repeating themselves.

- Since when?
- Since we went to P4X- 639.

We haven't been to P4X- 639.

Yes, we have."No, we haven't."
That's what you were gonna say.

- Of course that's what I was gonna say.
- OK, bad example.

- I'm not quite sure what to make of this.
- If we've had this meeting before, sir...

Why are Teal'c and I the only ones who
remember it? You said that last time.

Well, I'll venture a guess it has
something to do with that planet.

And you'll all believe me when
SG-12 comes through that gate in...

..four, three, two, one...

SG-12 isn't due back for three days.

- Unscheduled offworld activation.
- So close.

- You're not gonna find anything.
- Why don't we wait for the lab results?

- The results will be negative.
- Humour me.

General...I know you're thinking of
postponing the mission. There's no point.

You tried it last time. It didn't work.

Jack. Wait up.

Um...I was thinking about what you said
about a beam coming from the altar.

400 pages of alien text.

Right...SG-15 took digital images
of the carvings on the ruins.

- Looks familiar.
- It should.

It's something that
you spoke for a few days.

It's a variation of the writings
used by the Ancients.

If you're lookin' for help translating it,
you're barkin' up the wrong genius.

No, I realise the Asgards returned you to
normal, which is fortunate, I...suppose.

But if you give me details about
the layout of the ruins it might be...

Gee, sorry, Dr Jackson.

Oops.

Come in.

- Any word from Fraiser?
- Still waiting for the lab results.

If we delay any longer it will be too late.

- Too late for what?
- To stop this day from happening again.

You realise this is
a little difficult for me to accept.

Hey, if it was just me, I'd agree.

But what about Teal'c?
Come on! Is this the face of a crazy man?

- Bad example.
- What do you want?

We wanna go back to 639.

A geomagnetic storm is building up.
We shouldn't stay long.

That's the machine right there.

- I wonder how it works.
- Subspace fields and time inversions.

That's what you said.

- Hello.
- Whoa. Easy, guys.

That's the guy.
He's the one who started all this.

- I don't understand.
- Whatever you did, undo it.

- I did nothing.
- I don't think he knows what you mean.

- Perhaps he has no memory, O'Neill.
- He remembers.

He's the one who pushed those buttons.

Please. I'm, uh, an archaeologist...

I've been trying to translate
these alien symbols.

- I told the others who came before you.
- SG-15?

Yes...But they didn't
point weapons at me.

I can show you my notes...

I've been making periodic visits
to this planet for quite some time now.

My research is almost complete.

What kind of archaeologist
carries a weapon?

Uh...

I do.

Bad example.

- What's this?
- If you must know...it's my wife.

- What'd you do?
- Nothing. It engaged on its own.

- Turn it off.
- How?

It's drawing energy from
the ionisation in the atmosphere.

There's nothing Major Carter can do.

Excuse me? How'd you know her name?

- You told me.
- No, I didn't. Not this time around.

It doesn't matter. You're too late.

- How do you shut this thing off?
- Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you.

Sir, it's building up some kind of charge.

Daniel, you can read this stuff.
Get up here and shut it off.

What? Are you kidding me?
I wouldn't even know where to begin. I...

It would take years of training. I don't
know the material, I don't have enough...

Anyway, I'm sorry, but that just
happens to be how I feel about it.

What do you think?

It's just a question.

All right. Here's the deal. We're all
stuck in a time loop of some kind.

However, Teal'c and I seem to be
the only ones who realise it.

Now, there's this alien device on 639.

It shoots a beam at the Stargate,
which at...subspace something...what?

Accesses the subspace field
the Stargate is capable of generating.

- It is powered by ionisation...
- In the atmosphere, which is caused by...

I know this one.

- Magnets.
- The geomagnetic storm.

Close. Anyway, I don't know why
none of you remember any of this.

But I do know for a fact there's no point
havin' ol' Doc Fraiser examine us again.

I ask you, what could possibly be
in my eye that would explain this?

- What do you make of all this, Major?
- When was the last time Colonel O'Neill...

..used terms like "subspace field"
and "geomagnetic storm"?

- Good point.
- And he actually used them correctly,...

..for the most part.

- You believe him.
- I'm considering the possibility, sir.

The more I think about it, if he's right,
the ramifications are huge.

The next time time loops, we'll forget
this conversation even happened.

- You're better off in here.
- I was just comin' to look for you.

Um, I've translated
a section of the west wall.

- It's some sort of planetary history.
- Daniel, that's very nice.

- But focus on the altar.
- Why?

Malikai initiated the time loop
by manipulating symbols.

Figure out those,
you figure out how to stop this.

Just recognising symbols on a keyboard
doesn't run a computer.

If I can put the device in a proper context,
I can figure out what it's supposed to do.

We know what it does!
It's a time- loop machine.

Uh...Who would build a device
that loops time every ten hours?

- Who knows? But that's what it does.
- Yes, but maybe it's not supposed to.

For all we know, this is
an accidental by- product.

Hello?

OK, we're on our way.

Sam has something.

According to Colonel O'Neill,...

..he and Teal'c witnessed a beam
striking the Stargate on P4X- 639.

Then the gate became
energised somehow.

Now, in the second loop, they witnessed
a similar effect in our own gate room.

Sounds about right.

If this is the influence
of alien technology,...

..the effect is being translated
to Earth through the Stargate,...

..in which case the solution is simple.

- We dial out.
- Exactly.

Before this loop
is supposed to begin again,...

..we establish an outgoing wormhole
to, say, the Tollan home world.

Then anyone or anything trying to dial in
from P4X- 639 will get a busy signal.

Let's do it.

Chevron five, locked.

Chevron six, locked.

- Chevron seven will not engage.
- What?

It won't lock.
I can't establish a connection.

I'm running a diagnostic.

- Incoming wormhole.
- Close the iris.

Oh, crap.

There is nothing wrong on our end.
We should have been able to dial out.

I'm sorry, but that just
happens to be how I feel about it.

What do you think?

Ask me tomorrow.

Recognising symbols on a keyboard
won't run a computer.

We've been over this!

I'm tellin' you,
the only way to stop this loop...

..is to figure out how to run that stuff!

If we really have had this conversation,
I probably pointed out...

..there's no way I can translate this
in less than a day.

Oh, I'm so ahead of you.
I put the whole thing on tape last time.

So you don't have to start from scratch.

If what you say is true,...

..when the loop started again your
recording wouldn't have happened...yet.

- Right.
- Did I not say that?

Careful! Be careful.

What about notes? lndelible ink?

If you are the only ones
with memories of previous loops,...

..you're gonna have to help me
by learning and remembering.

Fine.

How hard can it be?

According to Colonel O'Neill, we tried
to block the connection to P4X- 639...

..but were unable to dial out.

I think that the Earth has become out of
sync with the rest of the gate system,...

..making it impossible for us
to establish contact.

What about SG-12?
They managed to gate in.

I realise that. So we ran
a sequence of random diallings,...

..and this is what we found.

These worlds we were able
to contact, including Alaris,...

..where SG-12 was doing its survey.

But the centre of this group is P4X- 639.

I believe the alien device is establishing
simultaneous connection to these gates,...

..creating a kind of...subspace bubble.

And everything within the bubble
is cut off from the normal flow of time.

What are the implications of this?

We could relive the same day thousands
of times, and we'd never know it.

- What can we do?
- Unfortunately, not much.

The next time the loop starts we won't
even remember we had this conversation.

It's up to Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill.

"Poteramus."

"Poteras...potarat."

"Crem...eras...cret...cremus."

This is a bad idea.

It would appear we have no choice.

Unscheduled offworld activation.

You know the worst part about this?

Every time we loop,
Daniel asks me a question, and...

..I wasn't listening the first time.

You are not the only one who
must endure some discomfort.

Sorry, sir. I didn't realise you were there.

- You have said that on many occasions.
- I...

Perhaps next time
I will not be so forgiving.

Section 23 ends with
a reference to "perennial adventus".

- We've been over this.
- It means "the approaching disaster".

"Of the machine itself,
with recurring use...

..the machine...surrenders
to the rigours of time."

That is incorrect, Daniel Jackson.

The word "abicierum" means
"to give up", not "surrender".

OK, this section of the text seems to deal
primarily with their arrival on P4X- 639.

OK, this section of the text seems to deal
primarily with their arrival on P4X- 639.

Now this word here,"deductavum",
is a variation of "deductum".

OK, this section of the text seems to deal
primarily with their arrival on P4X- 639.

This appears to be a reference to
the gradual degeneration of the machine.

..foundation of a colony.

- Guys? This is important.
- Unscheduled offworld activation.

O'Neill...Should we not be assisting
Daniel Jackson with the translation?

I'm taking this loop off.

I'm tellin' you, Teal'c.

If we don't find a way out of this soon,
I'm gonna lose it.

Lose it. It means "go crazy".

Nuts. Insane.

Bonzo. No longer in possession
of one's faculties.

Three fries short of a Happy Meal.

Wacko!

Teal'c.

- Thank you, O'Neill.
- No, no. Thank you, Teal'c.

Oh, God!

Exactly how many of these loops
have you...have we been through?

I've lost track.

- That must be frustrating.
- Uh...Yeah.

On the other hand,
it is kind of an opportunity.

- How's that?
- Well, think about it.

If you know in advance that everything
is going to go back to the way it was,...

..you could do anything
for as long as you want...

..without having to
worry about consequences.

Excuse me.

-
-

- Vern, how's the wife?
- Fine...sir.

Oh, yeah!

That'll play.

How far is Alaris, anyway?

Several billion miles, O'Neill.

That's gotta be a record.

Colonel O'Neill,
what the hell are you doing?

In the middle of my backswing?

Sorry, sir. I didn't realise...

Excuse me, George.

Colonel, what are you
doing out of uniform?

- Handing you my resignation.
- Resigning? What for?

So I can do...this.

What are you smiling at?

Nothin'.

- What have you got for us, Dr Jackson?
- Uh, with the help of Teal'c and Jack,...

..I've managed
to complete the translation.

As I originally suspected, P4X- 639
was once a colony of the Ancients.

They thrived there until they were
struck with some sort of cataclysm,...

..perhaps a disease.

In any case, facing certain destruction,
they built the time machine.

To go back and change their history
to avoid their fate.

Right. But it didn't work.

Instead of sending a team of scientists
back to the key moment,...

..the device caused a continuous loop,
like the one we've been experiencing.

They experienced it hundreds of times
trying to get the machine to work, but...

They gave up. They shut it down
and let the end come.

So the loop can be broken.

Uh, there's a section of text on the altar...

..that deals with the geomagnetic storms
that power the device.

They recur every 50 or so years,
which is why, incidentally, the...

Yes, sir.

The loop can be broken.

I was getting to that.

When we activate the symbols in the right
sequence, I think we can shut it down.

Colonel, have your team geared up
and ready to embark in 30 minutes.

Yes, sir.

A geomagnetic storm is building up.
We shouldn't stay long.

Lucky guess.

- Malikai?
- I don't see anyone, sir.

He's around here somewhere.
He knows we're onto him.

Teal'c?

I'm sorry, but you've come
to break the time loop.

And I'm afraid I can't let you do that.

Get away from that thing.

Sir, it looks like a variation
of a Goa'uld force shield.

It is, Major. I had to trade several
rare artefacts for the field generator,...

..but it was well worth it.

Malikai? We have to reset those controls
or the loop's gonna start all over again.

I'm counting on it. I need more time.

Once I've deciphered the symbols,
I will be able to master the time device.

Why? So you can be
king of Groundhog Day?

Do you think I would do this
for personal power?

She...

- You wouldn't understand.
- What happened?

She died. 12 years ago. When I found
this place and discovered its purpose,...

..I dedicated myself
to unlocking its mysteries.

So you could
go back and save her.

No, that would be quite impossible. She
died from a congenital heart weakness.

Not even the ability to travel time
could change that.

Then why are you doing this?

To be with her once more.

Malikai, the device doesn't work.

- It never did.
- It never did?

- You're living proof.
- We translated the text on the ruins.

The Ancients who built this place
never got it to work.

They tried over and over again,
just like you, but in the end they gave up.

Why do you think this place is deserted?
They couldn't save themselves.

You're wrong. There must be some other
explanation. I know I can make this work.

You can't! They proved it can't be done.
You're just gonna go on like this for ever.

- You'll be trapped.
- Along with billions of innocent others.

This device activates
14 Stargates simultaneously.

That's 14 worlds reliving
the same day over and over.

I, uh...I didn't realise.

But once I am able to input the correct
time coordinates, the loop will be broken.

The people who made that machine
made the Stargates,...

..and they couldn't get
the damn thing to work.

And even if you could,
just for the sake of argument,...

..you can't change what happened to her.

I can...touch her face again.

Talk with her. Hear her laugh.

- Like you remember?
- Yes.

Then what'll happen?

- She'll die.
- And then what?

You start over?

Listen to me.

- I know what it's like.
- You can't!

I lost my son! I know!

And as much as I...

I could never live that over again.

Could you?

No.

Let her go.

Well, we're still here, Colonel.
I assume you were successful.

Well, General, you know what they say.

If at first you don't succeed,...

..try, try, try...

..try, try...try again.

I don't think I've ever seen
anyone enjoy oatmeal so much.

When you've eaten Froot Loops for who
knows how long...a little variety helps.

We heard from the Tok'ra. They've been
trying to contact us for over three months.

Really?

Who knows when they realised
we were cut off.

I mean, there's no telling
how much time passed.

Let me ask you something.
In all the time you were, um, looping,...

..were you ever tempted
to, um, do something crazy?

I mean, uh...You could do anything
without worrying about consequences.

You know, it's funny.
You've asked me that before.

And?

Visiontext Subtitles: Paul Murray