INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 28/CORRIDOR – EVENING
In the corridor directly outside of the embarkation room, seven members of the away team – Kawalsky, LT. DEREK BROWN, TECHNICAL SERGEANT LOUIS FERETTI, TSGT. STEVE PORRO, SSGT. CHRISTOPHER FREEMAN, SSGT. JACK REILLY, and Daniel – stand waiting, going over their gear. As O’Neal rounds the corner, a black beret perched atop his head, the airmen snap to attention. Stopping before them, the colonel looks first to his watch then to them.
O’NEAL: If anyone has anything to say, now’s the time to say it.
In response, Daniel delivers a powerful sneeze into his handkerchief. The airmen turn to regard him, bemused expressions on their faces.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 28/OPERATIONS ROOM – EVENING
Mitch and Jenny sit before the main console, the only two technicians stationed inside the room. As the last glyph is entered into the stargate and the device activates, a display of the local universe flashes into existence upon a large transparent viewscreen recently installed in the back of the room, a blinking blue spot indicating the precise location of the stargate on the other side.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 28/EMBARKATION ROOM – EVENING
The security door to the embarkation room slides open and the away team files into the room. Making their way to the foot of the stargate’s ramp, they gaze up at the iridescent crystalline ring and its pool of rippling silver energy. Looking down upon them from the bay window above is Gen. West and Lt. Anderman.
GEN. WEST: (through intercom) Begin final evacuation.
With all eight members of the away team gathered together at the foot of the ramp, O’Neal silently nods to Brown. Understanding this silent command, Brown takes out a large remote control. Activating it, the Field Remote Expeditionary Device – or FRED – stationed upon the end of the ramp comes to life. The large wheels of the flat-topped vehicle containing all the team’s equipment roll forward and the FRED ascends the ramp, disappearing into the stargate’s puddle.
With the FRED through, O’Neal turns around toward the far wall and looks up toward the bay window above, making eye contact with West. The two men lock gazes, unspoken challenge in their eyes. After a moment O’Neal breaks the contact, turning back towards the stargate.
O’NEAL: Let’s go.
Cocking their P90s, the airmen start forward up the ramp, O’Neal in the lead. Up above them, West and Anderman leave the bay window as the whiteboard on their side slides down over it.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 28/OPERATIONS ROOM – EVENING
Mitch and Jenny stare out into the embarkation room, transfixed as the members of the away team make their way up the ramp in single file towards the stargate. As Jenny leans forward in her chair to get a better look at their ascent, a pair of armed airmen enter the room. Distracted by these new arrivals, the two technicians turn toward them.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 28/EMBARKATION ROOM – EVENING
O’Neal makes his way up the ramp slowly, cautiously, his weapon at the ready. As he comes to the open mouth of the active stargate, he stops, looking up and down the diametre of the gate’s torus, scrutinizing the liquid ripples of the stone ring’s energy pool. Gripping the stock of his gun tightly and gritting his teeth, the colonel pushes forward, slipping through the silver puddle into the unknown. The other six airmen follow after him, disappearing one-by-one into the stargate. Soon, only Daniel is left remaining on this side of the gate.
The Egyptologist stands at the foot of the active stargate, regarding it with fearful awe. Tentatively, he reaches forward with both hands, cautiously dipping them into the silver puddle. The liquid energy washes over his hands and the uncertain expression on his face transforms into one of moderate pleasure. Smiling, he slowly pulls his hands from the depths of the stargate, looking his unmarred digits over.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 28/OPERATIONS ROOM – EVENING
Having left their stations, Jenny and Mitch now stand before the airmen before the room’s open door. Their attentions, though, are still riveted on Daniel in the embarkation room. Unamused with their dalliance, one of the airmen coughs loudly.
MITCH: (turns toward the airman with a frown) We’re going, we’re going!
Reluctantly, the two technicians leave the room with the two airmen.
INT. CREEK MOUNTAIN/LEVEL 28/EMBARKATION ROOM – EVENING
Deciding to hesitate no longer, Daniel steps forward, closing his eyes as he immerses himself in the silver puddle. As he passes through into the transspatial corridor beyond, his body phases out of conventional existence as he is propelled forward at astronomical velocities.
DANIEL’S P.O.V. – TRANSSPATIAL CORRIDOR
The dimensionally discombobulated entity that was Daniel makes his way along the interior of the stargate’s beam, a swirling tunnel of black-and-white energies. Coming to the end of this tunnel, he emerges into a perfectly white void. Strings of black light iris in around this void and what appears to be an inverted starfield fades into existence.
Caught in some kind of transspatial slipstream, the phase-shifted Daniel begins to slip and slide through this starfield, passing several peculiar rainbow halos along the way. Soon, the slipstream carries him through one of the halos – a halo filled with white light.
INT. OFFWORLD COMPLEX/STARGATE CHAMBER – DAY
Daniel comes hurtling out of the active stargate, hitting the stone steps hard and rolling across the floor until he collides with the glowing pedestal. The scholar turns over, groaning with pain and nausea. Surrounding him, all in varying stages of gate sickness, are the six airmen. Seeing Daniel sprawled under the pedestal of iridescent black stone, O’Neal and Brown rush over to offer him their aid.
O’NEAL: (pulls Daniel up into a sitting position) Jackson, it’s alright – it’s over. (to Brown) You stay with him.
BROWN: (gives Daniel’s shoulder a light shake) Jackson, just listen to me. Keep moving. It wears off in a minute.
FERETTI: (grins weakly) What a rush.
Having recovered most of their faculties, the members of the away team begin to move into action, switching on flashlights and going over their cargo. Rising to his feet unsteadily, Daniel turns back to the stargate which discharged him into this strange new world. Just as he begins to examine this alien gate for any characteristics which may distinguish it from its twin on Earth, the device shuts down, casting the chamber into near-complete darkness.
Reaching into pouches and pockets, the airmen retrieve several flares. Igniting them, they begin tossing the sticks about the chamber, illuminating its features. The stargate chamber is wide and long, fashioned out of finely carved black basalt, it’s sloping side walls leading out to a smaller antechamber which itself leads to the ramp leading out to the unseen chamber beyond.
O’NEAL: (facing the antechamber) Three teams. Let’s go.
Passing through into the antechamber, Daniel looks up toward the ceiling. There, situated within a recess in the stone, is a perfectly round circle, criss-crossed with lines forming a sliced pie pattern. Daniel regards this strange feature for a moment, trying to figure out its ultimate purpose, before finally giving up and following the others.
INT. OFFWORLD COMPLEX/ENTRANCE HALL – DAY
As O’Neal’s men step out into the entrance hall – an immense chamber filled with countless stone pillars and bright illumination filtering in from slot-like windows looking outside – they split up into three two-man teams and begin making a sweep of the chamber for potential threats. Making their way forward, they soon come to the far end of the chamber where a doorway leading outside waits for them.
EXT. OFFWORLD COMPLEX/ENTRANCE – DAY
Freeman and Porro step outside, crouching down and surveying their surroundings. Beyond the stone entrance stretches a long stone ramp, at the end of which stands a pair of tall stone obelisks. Surrounding the entrance, ramp, and obelisks is a barren desert landscape; this landscape, stretching out as far as the eye can see, is situated under an unearthly yellow sky. Aside from the complex itself, the only sign of civilization present is a road – a long, wide road which leads away from the complex into the enigmatic desert sands.
Rising from their positions, Porro and Freeman make their way down the ramp. Kawalsky and Feretti follow after them, and after them, O’Neal, Brown, and Daniel. Brown, armed with analytical equipment, waves a sensor through the air.
BROWN: (reading his instruments) Readings line-up with the probe’s. Conditions are similar to inside. Radiation, electromagnetic and other exposures indicate normal.
Satisfied with the lieutenant’s report, O’Neal nods. Starting forward, he, Brown, and Daniel make their way down the ramp with the others. Making his way down the ramp, Daniel looks about his surroundings, awed beyond description.
Leaving the ramp, the three of them join the other four team members between the two obelisks. Noticing the slack expressions on their face, they turn around, facing the entrance they just came from. Seeing what the others are seeing, they snap back. There, standing before them, situated under three alien suns, is an Egyptian-style pyramid. Composed of red granite, the pyramid is easily the same size as the Great Pyramid on Earth.
DANIEL: (grins) I knew it.