Episode 3-Air, Part 3The planet that
Destiny dialed is a desert. Lt. Scott, Eli, Sgt. Greer, Rush, Dr. Franklin, Dr. Palmer and Curtis head to the planet to find something that will work as a scrubbers for the CO2 building up on the ship. They begin testing the soil (putting the sand in water and adding chemicals) looking for calcium carbonate (Lyme). They are hoping to find a lake bed, where the concentration should be high enough to be useful. Since there isn’t anything near the gate, they begin hiking.
On the ship, young talks to Chloe about her father’s death, telling her he saved them all. Young tells her he’s going to use the communication stones to report to Stargate Command, and Chloe says she wants to be the one to tell her mother.
At the Pentagon, Col. Telford refuses to leave the communication stones, but is stopped midsentence when Young switches places with him. Young asks to speak to Gen. O’Neill. Chloe has switched places with Dr. Mehta.
On the ship, Telford is lying face down on the floor, after trying to get up, not realizing that Young was hurt. TJ and Dr. Mehta help him up.
On Earth, O’Neill meets with Chloe and Col. Young. O’Neill talks to Chloe for a bit, then a Major escorts her to see her mother. Young explains to O’Neill that there are lots of problems on board, and that they may not have much time left. Young asks that everyone on board get a chance (using the stones) to say goodbye.
On the planet, the group is exploring, but finding nothing. Dr. Franklin suggests checking another planet, but Rush insists that The Destiny dialed this planet because the solution is there. Scott suggests the split into two groups: Scott, Rush, Greer and Eli, Dr. Franklin, Dr. Palmer and Curtis. Eli thinks it’s a terrible idea, but Scott pulls him aside and says he needs someone he can trust to lead the second team; and he trusts Eli.
On Earth, Chloe pulls up to her house. The Major goes in first to try to explain the situation to Mrs. Armstrong, but all she hears is that Chloe is there. When Chloe walks out in a different body, Mrs. Armstrong freezes. Back inside, Mrs. Armstrong starts drinking, while Chloe tries to explain what has happened. Mrs. Armstrong breaks down when Chloe tells her the Senator is dead.
On the ship, TJ explains to Telford and Dr. Mehta that some people are searching the ship for anything that could be useful in the air filters, while the rest (the injured) are in quarters. Telford wants them to contact the away team every twenty minutes, and they explain that they also have power issues. Dr. Mehta asks about the other gate addresses, but they explain they are locked out, and Dr. Rush felt that trying to work around that was a bad idea. Telford insists on seeing the rest of the ship, but TJ wants him to rest because he could further damage Young’s body. He tells her to just give him something because they obviously need his help.
On the planet, Rush is testing more sand, but finding nothing. Rush wants to slow down, but Scott insists on covering more ground. As they argue (and Rush insults them) Scott sees a dust devil pop up over a sand dune. Rush insists they head back to the gate in an hour, and Scott agrees. After they leave, the dust devil returns to the spot Rush tested the sand with water. The wind spins on the spot, and the colored water disappears.
On the ship, TJ gives Telford an injection for the pain, but it really knocks him out. Dr. Mehta tells her she is out of line, but Lt. Johansen insists that it was so Young could return to his body in working condition, and she leaves to take care of other patients.
On the planet, Eli’s team is having no luck. Eli wants them to move on, but Dr. Franklin thinks he found an override to dial the other gate addresses, and wants to go try them. Instead of looking for Lyme, they should be looking for another planet to survive on so they don’t have to stay on the ship. Meanwhile, Rush is insisting he can’t go on, so Greer and Rush begin heading back to the gate, while Scott takes the testing kit and keeps searching. Eli radios Scott to tell him that the other three want to dial the other addresses and that he can’t stop them. Scott tells Greer and Rush to go try and stop them, and he’ll head back soon.
On Earth, the Major comes to take Chloe back to the Pentagon. Mrs. Armstrong tell the Major to get her daughter home, saying she is a friend of the President, and if anything happens to Chloe she will go public with the Stargate. Chloe apologizes to the major for her mother’s behavior.
On the planet, Scott sees the dust devil again, and follows it. He pours some water out onto the sand, and watches as the dust devil sucks it up. As he stares at the place where the water was, a face appears out of the sand, like a body buried there. He leaps back, and it disappears.
Rush and Greer argue as they walk toward the gate. Rush tells him he has earned the right to make decisions without explaining himself to anyone. Rush shoves Greer and they tumble down a dune. When they hit the bottom, Greer pulls his gun on Rush, telling him if he tries that again, he’ll shoot him.
At the gate, Palmer, Franklin, and Curtis have dialed another planet, and decide to go through. Curtis and Palmer go through, but before Franklin has a chance, a bullet hits the ramp. Greer, on a dune nearby, stands with his gun aimed. Franklin tries to run for it, but Rush tells Greer to shoot him, so he shoots him in the arm. The gate shuts down and Greer and Rush run down to the gate. Rush insists he saved his life, but Eli is upset because Palmer and Curtis are now stranded. They have six hours before Destiny returns to FTL (faster than light), so Greer tries to contact Scott.
Scott is still wandering, following the dust devil, but he is now being followed by a priest-the man he saw in the sand earlier. Scott stops and the priest passes him, but turns back and says “You must keep going, my boy. You don’t give up”. Scott replies “I’m not going to let anyone else down the way I let you down”. Scott walks on, leaving the priest behind.
At the gate, Franklin has passed out, and Greer decides to go back for Scott. Rush takes Franklin back to the ship, and Greer tells Eli to stay by the gate and wait for him to come back. Greer gives Eli his gun and shows him how to shoot it “just in case”.
On the ship, Young is back, but wants to know why he’s been drugged. Rush returns with Franklin, and TJ starts to patch him up.
On the Planet, Scott is dragging. He falls to his knees, and when he looks up, he sees a crucifix in the sand. He flashes back to a memory: he is sitting in a pew at church, crying. He tells the priest (the same) he has sinned, and that he has failed. He looks up at the sand dunes, and passes out.
At the gate, Eli is trying to contact Curtis and Palmer, but they aren’t responding.
Meanwhile Scott is unconscious, and remembering: back in church the priest asks him if he loves her. He responds with “She’s not going to have it.” “Are you certain?” “She’s sixteen. We barely even know each other.” As he looks at the priest, he dissolves into sand. The dust devil tries to wake him, before burrowing into the sand, then creating a puddle of water under Scott’s face. He wakes with a start, and test the sand where he’s laying. The water turns clear-he’s found the Lyme. He realizes the ship will leave soon, and he tries to radio the others as he packs the bags with Lyme.
At the gate, Lt. James and a few other soldiers comes through with a kino to help look for Scott. Meanwhile Scott is having trouble dragging the Lyme back, but Greer finds his foot prints. Scott passes out again, just as Greer finds him. Scott tells him to take the bag and leave him, but Greer kicks him until he starts moving.
With 3 minutes until the ship jumps, Eli dials the gate, and Lt. James et al head back through the gate. Eli waits. With less than a minute before the ship jumps, Eli sees Greer and Scott coming over a dune, but knows they won’t make it back. Rush tells Eli to stick his arm into the event horizon, because matter in the stream will keep the gate open. With 20 seconds left, Eli tentatively sticks his arm in, concerned that it won’t work. Greer and Scott run for the gate, and the countdown ends. The gate remains open, although the ship shakes. Eli, Greer, and Scott make it on board with the Lyme. The gate shuts down and the ship jumps to FTL.
Rush mixes the Lyme with some water and sticks it into the ventilation system. A minute later, air begins to flow freely.
Later, Scott is resting in his quarters and Chloe brings him water. She tells him everyone is grateful. Scott asks how she’s doing. He tells her his parents died in a car crash when he was four, and that the priest raised him, but drank himself to death when he was 16. “There are some things you never get over. You just get through”.
Want to see how they discovered the communication stones? Check out Stargate: SG1 Season 8, Episode 15 “Citizen Joe” and Season 9, Episodes 1 and 2 “Avalon, Parts 1 and 2”http://www.hulu.com/watch/102159/stargate-sg-1-citizen-joehttp://www.hulu.com/watch/108634/stargate-sg-1-avalon-part-1#x-0,vepisode,1,0http://www.hulu.com/watch/108639/stargate-sg-1-avalon-part-2