This wasn't going on when we sent the probe through.
- What's in the air? - Ash.
Daniel, dial it up. Get us outta here. No argument.
Wait a minute.
There's something out there.
It's a woman! She's alive! There's more. Hurry, you guys!
- There's no life here. - This one's had it.
It's just like Pompeii. Everyone suffocated before the lava started to flow.
What are these things?
O'Neill, there are two more alive!
Carter? How long before we're toast?
I don't know, sir. I'm not a volcanologist. It could be days or minutes.
Don't...
help us.
Clear the way. Give 'em some room.
Let's go.
- You OK? - Yeah.
Colonel O'Neill, what happened?
We encountered some very severe volcanic activity, sir.
- Who are these people? - We don't know.
They were all dying around the gate. The air was toxic.
And hot.
Have Dr Fraiser take a look at you. We'll debrief when you're ready.
Yes, sir.
You evacuated ten people from an alien planet, Colonel.
Dr Fraiser says they're all human and they're going to live.
- This was one hell of a rescue operation. - Thank you, sir.
- There were no buildings in the area? - No, sir.
It looked like they were trying to make it back to the Stargate.
What about the devices they were wearing?
They emit radiation, indicating an operative energy source,
but there's no circuitry, moving parts or chips. We've seen nothing like it.
I thought they were from a parallel culture, but they may be way ahead of us.
We've determined humans on other planets originated here on Earth.
Yes.
Given our present state of technology, could they be ahead of us?
Yes.
We'd be colonising space now if it hadn't been for the Dark Ages.
For a period of over 800 years, science was heresy and anathema.
Maybe they didn't have that setback.
The spokesman for the rescued people is awake.
He'd like to speak with you. All of you.
Attention, all off-duty medical personnel,
report to the infirmary, sublevel 20, stat.
Who are you?
I'm Major General Hammond. This is Colonel O'Neill.
- Jack. - Samantha Carter.
- Daniel Jackson. - What is this place?
You're on a planet called Earth. These people saved you.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Unless I miss something, you're better off here than there.
A rescue transport was on the way.
Half your people were already dead. It wouldn't have gotten there in time.
Perhaps that's more a problem for you than it was for us.
- Beg your pardon? - I find it unbelievable
that anyone so primitive could've deciphered the gate system.
Did you say "primitive"?
I too am from a world very different from this one.
Here, life is highly valued.
Quite a statement for a Jaffa.
Sir, I'd like to know who you are and what you know about the Goa'uld.
I am Omoc. Our world is called Tollan.
And what do you know of the Goa'uld and Jaffa?
We're aware of them. We don't interact with them.
Then we share a common enemy.
Did I mention an enemy?
I only meant it might benefit everyone if your people and ours could be friends.
I demand you return everything you've taken from us and allow us to go home.
It could take a while for those volcanoes to quiet down.
In the meantime, I'm a bit of a culture buff.
I'd like to learn about your history and customs.
I've said enough. I'll say no more.
Captain Carter, monitor the situation on Tollan very closely.
As soon as it's safe there, I want those people gone.
Yes, sir.
- New hobby? - Neat, huh?
Miniature UAV, with all the bells and whistles.
Just adding heat sensors, so I can send it to Tollan.
I was just down in the infirmary, trying to get them to talk to us.
They only ask questions, never answer them.
One of them was asking a lot of questions about you.
I thought they weren't interested in us.
I didn't say "us". I said "you".
General Hammond thinks you'll have better luck getting answers.
He'd like to see you.
OK.
I was hoping he would open up to you a bit more than Dr Jackson or myself.
- You remember Narim. - Yes, from the planet.
- You were a lot dirtier then. - Um...
Captain Carter.
- Or is it "Doctor"? - Why don't we just make it Samantha?
- You may call me Narim. - Yeah.
Captain Carter, Mr Narim seems very interested in our planet.
Maybe you'd like to escort him up to the surface to have a look.
- Really? - I'd be pleased to have that opportunity.
You must give me your word you'll stay with Captain Carter.
You have my word.
Great. Let's go.
Sir.
I wanted to tell you... that I'm glad to be alive.
- So are the others. - Good.
Thank you. And please tell your friends.
- Oh. You can tell them yourself. - No, I can't.
- I shouldn't be talking to you. - Why not?
You know, back on Tollan, I thought I was dying.
I heard your voice, I managed to open my eyes, and, uh...
when I saw you...
What?
An old superstition. There was a time before science
when my ancestors believed in all manner of nonsense.
Like the sher-mal.
The story goes that, if a sher-mal appears at the moment of death,
- she'll take you to her home in the stars. - Ah. We call them angels.
- Then you still believe in them. - Some of us do.
Ours were reported to be quite beautiful.
And when I saw you, well...
you seemed to fit the description.
Then I learned from Dr Jackson that you're also a brilliant scientist.
- Wow. - I'm afraid I asked quite a few questions.
Curiosity.
It's a quality Omoc doesn't seem to share.
- Can you tell me about your world? - Yeah, of course.
- A flying animal. - Yeah. We call them birds.
- Are there other animals? - Yeah, millions of them.
There've been none on Tollan for generations.
I could bring you pictures, if you like.
- I would like that very much. Thank you. - OK.
But I think it would be best if Omoc didn't know.
Why?
Omoc is not as harsh as he seems.
He is only trying to protect us... and you.
- From what? - Perhaps...
Perhaps we should go back.
OK.
Chevron six engaged.
Chevron seven locked.
Launching UAV in ten seconds.
Nine... eight... seven...
six... five... four...
three... two... one.
- Yeah. - Successful launch.
UAV is holding course in the wormhole, should reach the Tollan gate in three...
two... one.
Temperature, ground: 1700 degrees Fahrenheit.
Air seems to be in pockets ranging from 1500 degrees down to 200.
- Sounds like LA. - If the heat doesn't get you, the air will.
It's mostly pyroclastics, basalt, ash. A person could suffocate very quickly.
How long before it cools down?
I don't know. Not any time soon.
Doesn't look like it'll matter. That lava's flowing straight toward the gate.
Computer predicts that at the current rate the gate will be buried in a couple of days.
Looks like we've got some guests for a while.
- Are you absolutely certain? - Yes. I'm sorry.
Then nature succeeded where we failed.
What? You were going to seal the gate?
Tollan is a world in cataclysm.
Evacuation was complete. My team stayed to, uh...
Our final task was to close the gate,
so that no one could return and be harmed.
Wherever you were going, we can recalibrate the coordinates.
The new settlement world is outside the gate system. We'll need a ship.
Oh, uh... we don't have ships.
Not that kind, anyway.
Our space programme is relatively new.
Your survivors have become refugees.
If they don't wanna be here, we've got to relocate them somewhere.
You know, General, we have done some fairly good deeds out there.
Maybe we should try calling in some markers.
OK. Colonel, you and Teal'c follow up on that.
Maybe go pay a visit to some of our old friends.
Captain Carter and Dr Jackson, get the multipurpose room on 5-C readied
as a refugee housing centre.
Yes, sir.
As an act of good faith, we're returning the devices you were wearing.
- They are not weapons. - That's what our technicians thought.
So you had them tested?
Not much of an act of good faith.
Actually, we couldn't figure out exactly what they were.
I want to assure you we're doing all we can to relocate your people.
- Are we to have some say in the matter? - Yes.
Self-determination is very important to us.
In the meantime, we'll make you as comfortable as possible.
But you're restricted to the immediate premises.
- Are we prisoners? - No. No, absolutely not.
But you are from an alien environment. It's as much for your safety as for ours.
Hey. How you doin'?
It may sound ridiculous, but I have no idea what to do with these items.
Our sleeping platforms adjust automatically to our body temperature.
They don't come with accoutrements.
I'll show you. I brought you some things to take a look at.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
You might like to see this first.
Oh. I never thought I'd see a living animal.
His name's Schrodinger.
It's kind of a joke, really. His name, that is.
Schrédinger's cat.
Right. There was an Earth physicist by the name of Erwin Schrodinger.
He had this theoretical experiment. Put a cat in a box,
add a can of poison gas activated by the decay of a radioactive atom,
and close the box.
- Sounds like a cruel man. - No, it was a theory. He never really did it.
He said that, if he did do it, the cat would be dead and alive at the same time.
Aha, quilebrium physics.
An atom's state is indeterminate until measured.
We call it quantum physics. You know the theory?
Yeah, I've studied it.
In among other misconceptions of elementary science.
Misconceptions?
You telling me that you guys have licked quantum physics?
Omoc...
Uh... I'll come back and help you with this later.
I did not tell her anything.
We set up a meeting with Tuplo for 0800 tomorrow.
Many of the worlds we have visited are eager to be of service.
People, we have a problem. Your refugees seem to have escaped.
Escaped?
Ask them that when you find them.
They're over here!
Hold fire!
We were merely observing the stars.
You're all gonna have to come back in now.
So we are prisoners.
Any idea how they got past the guards?
The surveillance video in the room was exposed to some sort of interference
- just as the escape was taking place. - Convenient.
- Can the video be computer-enhanced? - We're trying now.
In the meantime, we should get this show on the road.
Tuplo. Good to see you.
General Hammond, before we begin,
I wish to thank you for allowing me to be the first visitor to Earth
from the Land of Light.
It is indeed an honour.
My lord Omoc,
the Land of Light is a world of eternal brightness, where fertility abounds.
Our farms produce rich harvests.
Our rivers are blessed with fish and fowl.
We would be honoured to share our land with your people.
You have no idea who or what we are.
We know that you are in need
and that you are here among those who have proven themselves our friends.
That is enough.
You're missing the point.
His planet is unacceptable to us.
These people are even more primitive than you.
Narim, can you tell me why Omoc is so... you know.
Obstinate?
The nearest planet in our solar system was called Sarita.
When we began to explore space, we learned she was inhabited.
- Did you make contact? - Yes.
When we thought they were sufficiently advanced.
They were on a level very similar to yours.
So what happened?
We offered them a device...
to produce unlimited productive energy.
And they used it to make war.
- How bad was it? - In one rotation of our planet,
- they had destroyed theirs. - One day?
The destruction shifted our planet's orbit 0.3 decana.
Enough to begin a chain of events that made our world unstable.
So that's why he's so afraid to give a society like ours any of your technology.
Yes.
Tell me, what were you really doing outside last night?
Omoc spoke the truth. By setting the position of your stars,
we calibrated the distance between Earth and the new home world.
It is very far away, Samantha.
Too far to hope for a ship in our lifetime.
Have you ever thought about staying here... on Earth?
I would... gladly stay...
if only to spend more time with a certain inhabitant of this planet.
I speak, of course, of Schrodinger.
Our escape was a test. You did exactly what I knew you would do.
You used threat and force to solve your problem.
- You gave us no choice. - You could've come for us unarmed.
You haven't exactly behaved like someone I want to trust.
I won't put my team at risk.
And I will not risk my people in your care.
Look, Omoc, if you're so advanced,
why don't you let your people decide for themselves?
Narim, this is a free country. We take in thousands of refugees fleeing repression.
If you request asylum, you can stay, no matter what Omoc wants.
You don't care about Narim's rights. You only want our technology, nothing more.
I wouldn't mind knowing how you got the hell out of this place,
technically speaking.
You don't need to know how. Only that we did.
And we can do it again any time we need to.
General Hammond wants to see you and your team right away, sir.
Thank you.
We've augmented the surveillance video from the multipurpose room
with computer enhancement. You're not gonna believe this.
Whoa. Cool.
But totally impossible.
Only from a perspective of our limited science.
We have similar video of them passing through an elevator door and a wall.
This is knowledge far beyond that of the Goa'uld.
That's what the president and Joint Chiefs want to hear.
Colonel Maybourne, sir, NID.
Intelligence? What happened to Kennedy?
- Promoted. I took his place. - Promoted?
Talk about failing upwards.
Colonel O'Neill. I read about your conflict with Colonel Kennedy in his report.
I assure you, such an attitude will not prevail with me in either direction.
- I sense that. - Good.
Would you mind telling me why you're here, Colonel?
You didn't get my advance?
That's an order releasing the Tollans to our section.
You're to be congratulated. The Stargate programme is finally paying off.
This was quite a coup.
Excuse me? These are people we're talking about.
- These people do have rights, you know. - Do they?
- Under what nation's jurisdiction? - How about basic human rights?
I can't release them to you.
I beg your pardon?
I don't believe the president meant to release these people
until they've been through quarantine.
We don't have any idea what kinds of diseases they might be carrying.
You're out of your league. We're playing in my ballpark now.
I have the full authority of the president.
So do I, Colonel.
Why don't you ask the airman outside to show you to our guest quarters?
- That's OK. I'll wait. - That wasn't an invitation.
It was an order, Colonel.
General, didn't Dr Fraiser give the Tollans a... clean bill of health?
Just don't let her tell Maybourne that.
At most, I've bought us a day, people. Find me some alternatives.
You're a good man, General.
- It doesn't matter if I ask for asylum? - Maybourne would love that.
But you'd be working for him on his terms.
Then Omoc is correct. You'll use our knowledge for war.
It's not us. It's a part of our government that specialises in chronic paranoia.
Like Sarita. It's going to happen again.
It doesn't have to. That's why I am here.
I am hoping you can convince Omoc to consider one of the other planets.
It's no use. He's right. They're all as primitive as you. Sarita could happen on...
I wish you would stop calling us primitive.
I'm sorry. I only meant technologically.
You are anything but primitive, Samantha.
What your mind doesn't know... your heart fills in.
I don't know what that means exactly, but it's beautiful.
Which is exactly what it means.
Just what exactly do you hope to get from these people?
Well, for one, superior weapons.
They won't cooperate, you know.
I assure you, Colonel... they will.
I just hung up from talking to the president.
I guess Mr Maybourne has been talking to him recently.
I did tell you I had his ear, General.
Colonel Maybourne has authorisation to relocate the Tollans immediately.
Of course he does.
- Where will you take them? - To a secure community in the Rockies.
Nice community with high walls, guards, a little barbed wire?
They're a valuable asset. They need to be protected.
- Nice. Forced intellectual labour. - And life imprisonment.
These aliens will live a better life than most Americans.
They'll have a great view, the best food, everything they need.
Everything except a life.
The Pentagon, Intelligence - that I can understand. But the president?
I voted for him.
Colonel, have the Tollans ready for transport at 0600 tomorrow.
OK, Colonel, want to tell me why I'm here?
Because Maybourne isn't, sir.
We want to talk about how we can keep Maybourne from taking the Tollan.
General, we must ensure the Tollans escape.
I can't let you do that. We'd all be court-martialled.
General, I'm about a hair away from not caring.
However, Daniel...
I can't be court-martialled, sir.
Maybourne was here, questioning my people.
Wanted us to take some sort of tests. And you expect me to trust you?
He's from another division. We're trying to protect you from him.
You're not doing a very good job.
No, apparently not.
Do you have a new place for us to go?
Well...
no.
Then we have nothing else to say.
OK, I do know of a perfect place. I just don't know how to get you there.
Then, why do you speak of it?
I was kinda hoping that maybe you'd have a technology to get there.
This is another trick to gain access to our technology.
No, it isn't. There was a planet we went to where people were as advanced as you.
They were called the Nox.
If you went there, why can't we?
Well, because they felt about us kinda like you do.
They called us "very young”, which is more polite than "primitive",
but same idea.
They sealed their Stargate. I don't know how to communicate with them to open it.
- Do you know where this planet is? - Yes, I have the coordinates right here.
- We must go back to the mountaintop. - Really?
I can't. I can't get you out of here.
That's not a problem.
Right. Oh, but I have to go with you.
- Give me your hand. - What?
Do you wish to come or not?
The coordinates.
I'm no astronomer,
but won't that take thousands of years to reach the Nox world?
- Why would it? - That's just a laser, right?
I mean... light takes a long time to travel that far.
The distance between these two points...
seems far,
until you do this.
OK, I remember this from college physics.
One of our scientists, Einstein, explained this the same way. Folding space.
No.
You wouldn't understand.
No, I guess not.
I just hope the Nox do.
Samantha?
Narim?
Hello.
Oh, my God. How do you do that?
Very... carefully.
I have come to say goodbye. We'll be leaving soon.
So you think Daniel's plan will work?
Either way, I will be leaving.
However, I... will go reluctantly.
Why?
Because as of tonight we will never meet again.
Come on. You'll forget about me in a heartbeat.
I thought you felt that way.
- That is why I brought you this. - What is it?
You have audio and visual recording devices?
Yeah.
This one records emotions.
My feelings for you.
I have worn it each time we were together.
How does it work?
Touch the red triangle.
And close your eyes.
I don't know what to say.
We have a custom
that expresses more than words.
We have that custom, too.
Whoops.
Sorry. We've gotta do some stuff in here.
Actually, I need your help.
You should probably get going. Don't forget Schrodinger.
Thank you.
I'll need at least one unit of escorts in the rear transport.
Come.
General Hammond, sir, the refugees... they've disappeared.
What do you mean?
I mean... like "poof", sir. They went through the walls.
I told you to keep guards inside to prevent that.
We were inside. I stood in their path myself.
- And? - They went right through me, sir.
Attention, all personnel. Offworld activation, unknown source.
What the hell is going on?
The mainframe's having a nervous breakdown. The iris is failing.
Why is the blast door down? Get it up.
What are they doing? How did they get here?
The gate's dialling. Chevron six engaged.
Dr Jackson, this is Colonel Maybourne.
What you are doing is a court-martiallable offence.
He's not in the military.
And I think it'd be kinda tough to find a civilian law to cover this.
I'll have you removed from this programme for ever if you do this!
Chevron seven is locked.
Wherever you send them, we'll hunt them down.
We're not sending them anywhere. The gate was activated offworld.
- Someone is sending for them. - Who?
Hello.
Hello, Lya.
This is Colonel Maybourne.
I have a presidential order to take the aliens! Do not let them pass!
Use force if necessary!
Your race has learned nothing.
But you have.
The Tollans are most welcome to join the Nox. Please come.
Narim was right about you.
Perhaps in time, we'll meet again.
Stop!
Take one more step, and I'll be forced to have them open fire.
Come.
Fire! Fire!
God, I love those people.
You did good, Daniel.
- What of Maybourne? - Oh, he's not a happy camper.
There'll be hell to pay when he gets back to Washington.
What?
Just thinking what the little guy with funny hair once told us.
"The very young do not always do as they're told.”
Yeah.