CROSSFADE TO
An overhead shot of an old black '68 Dodge Charger moving along a twisting two-lane highway deep inside the Colorado Rockies.
INT. DODGE CHARGER – SUNSET – TRAVELLING
Daniel is hunched over the wheel, struggling to simultaneously drive the car, read a map, and sneeze into a tissue.
CUT TO
The back seat of the car, which is cluttered with dozens upon dozens of used tissues.
EXT. HIGHWAY – SUNSET
Daniel spots a large sign which reads “CREEK MOUNTAIN, U.S. GOVERNMENT SPECIAL ZONE”. He makes a turn off the highway onto a steep, tree-lined entrance road leading toward the top of a low mountain in the distance. The mountain top looms closer and closer as Daniel drives on, and in no time at all he comes to a military checkpoint.
SUPERIMPOSE: “MILITARY INSTALLATION, CREEK MOUNTAIN, COLORADO”
As Daniel pulls up to the closed metal gate and rolls down his window, a guard leaves his kiosk and walks up to Daniel’s side of the car.
DANIEL: I’m Daniel Jackson. I didn’t think I was going to make it.
GUARD: Your documents?
As Daniel reaches forward to open the glove box and retrieve his documents, he sneezes loudly. Making a diversion for a tissue, he blows his nose hard, then hands his papers to the guard through the window. As the guard starts checking the papers, Daniel sneezes again.
GUARD: (glancing at the balled-up tissues taking up space in the car’s backseat) You’ve got quite a cold there, Dr. Jackson.
DANIEL: Allergies. Always happens when I travel.
Finishing his run-through of the papers, the guard unstraps his radio and speaks into it. He waits a moment for a reply, then turns back to Daniel.
GUARD: Well, your papers check out. We’ll raise the gate and wave you through.
The guard returns to the kiosk, and in a moment the metal gate slides open, allowing Daniel access to the access road beyond. Rolling his window back up, Daniel shifts gears as the car begins to stall and pushes on ahead.
In no time at all Daniel reaches a parking lot, beyond which lies an entrance tunnel cut into the apex of the mountain top.
Finding a spot close to the entrance tunnel, Daniel parks the Charger and disengages the ignition. With an intense backfire and a rough shudder, the car dies. As he climbs out and circles around the car to retrieve his belongings from the trunk, a big, muscular officer in a crisp blue uniform – LIEUTENANT COLONEL ADAM KAWALSKY – steps out of the shadows of the tunnel and approaches Daniel.
KAWALSKY: Daniel Jackson?
DANIEL: (turns toward Kawalsky) Yes?
With a large grin, the lieutenant colonel takes Daniel’s hand and gives it an eagre shake. Daniel winces from the strength of his grip.
KAWALSKY: I’m Lt. Col. Adam Kawalsky. (beat) Where’ve you been? Dr. Langford thought you changed your mind.
DANIEL: I had car trouble, so it took me longer than expected to get here. (beat) So, is this an Army base?
KAWALSKY: I’m not authorized to discuss that.
DANIEL: (grins) No, seriously. Is this like a camp for Army scholars, a think tank or something?
KAWALSKY: Until you sign the non-disclosure agreement, sir, I’m not at liberty to discuss that subject.
DANIEL: (shrugs) Alright. I guess we’ll get that taken care of once we’re inside.
Daniel turns back to the truck and opens it, exposing his large book sack along with two bulging suitcases.
KAWALSKY: (eyes the sack) Help you with that?
DANIEL: Careful. They’re books and they’re really –
Without any visible effort, Kawalsky hefts the sack out of the trunk single-handedly.
DANIEL: (cont’d) – heavy.
With Kawalsky carrying the book sack and Daniel carrying the suitcases, they start towards the entrance into Creek Mountain.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/ELEVATOR – TWILIGHT
Some time has passed, and Daniel and Kawalsky – book sack and suitcases no longer in tow – step into an elevator. As the doors close, Kawalsky slides a keycard through a slot and – pressing the button marked “18” – the box begins its descent.
KAWALSKY: (hands a stick of gum to Daniel) Equalizes your ear pressure.
Silently, Daniel takes the gum and, unwrapping it, stuffs it into his mouth and begins to chew nervously.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 18/CORRIDOR #1 – TWILIGHT
Soon the elevator finishes its descent and the doors swish open. Stepping out, the two men begin making their way down a sterile hospital-type corridor.
DANIEL: Are you taking me to Dr. Langford?
KAWALSKY: We’re going to meet with the others, first.
DANIEL: Others?
KAWALSKY: You didn’t think you were Project Giza’s only recruit, did you?
DANIEL: Honestly, I didn’t know what to think. (beat) Still don’t, really.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 18/CORRIDOR #2 – TWILIGHT
The two turn a corner and Kawalsky soon stops in a corridor lined with doors. Stepping up to a pair of doors, the officer raps on both of them loudly.
KAWALSKY: Dr. Meyers – Shore – are you in?
In a few moments the doors open. The first individual to emerge is DOCTOR GARY MEYERS, a tall, chunky man of about fifty-seven dressed in pressed black slacks and a beige sweater; though he should look studious and serious, he comes off more as the boisterous type with a strong sense of humour. Shortly following is BARBARA SHORE, a forty-eight-year-old Texan woman in midnight blue coveralls; tall and sexy with wavy black hair, she wouldn’t look at all out of place on a fashion runway.
MEYERS: (grins) You must be Jackson. (puts out his hand) I’m Dr. Gary Meyers, Ph.D on loan from Harvard.
DANIEL: (shakes Meyers’ hand) Dr. Meyers (beat) Of course – you’re a professor of comparative linguistics. Your thesis on the influence Sumerian cuneiform had on the early development of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics is interesting. (grins) I can’t say I fully agree with your conclusions, though.
MEYERS: I have similar sentiments in regard to your theories on the Predynastic origin of Khufu’s pyramid.
DANIEL: (looks about at their surroundings) Where the hell are we, anyway?
BARBARA: A goddamn nuclear missile silo. (notices Daniel’s sudden dismayed expression) Don’t worry, darlin’. The place has been completely converted, but technically it’s still a military installation, so these flyboys get to act like they own the place. (beat) Anyway, I’m Barbara Shore, the token astrophysicist on the team. Hello.
DANIEL: Hi.
Barbara shakes hands with Daniel then turns her attentions to Kawalsky.
BARBARA: So, Lieutenant, isn’t it –
KAWALSKY: As I’ve already made clear to you, Doctor, it’s lieutenant colonel – or just colonel – not lieutenant. I wear silver oak leaves, not single bars.
BARBARA: (flirtatious) Oh, shut up, Kawalsky, you overgrown testicle. (cont’d) As I was sayin’, Lieutenant Colonel, isn’t it about time you reintroduced us to our illustrious host and let us know just what it is we’ve all hauled ass here to do?
KAWALSKY: That’s why I’m here. Dr. Langford’s waiting to meet all of you in the coverstone room. Let’s go.
Kawalsky starts walking down the corridor and the three scholars hurry to follow after him.
MEYERS: I don’t get why we couldn’t have all met with Dr. Langford when we each arrived individually. This waiting game has been a pain in the ass. (turns to Daniel) No offense.
DANIEL: (half-smiles) None taken.
KAWALSKY: Seeing you all together at one time saves her the effort of repeating the same information thrice. (beat) Besides, she has a taste for the melodramatic.