EXT. BASE CAMP – DAY
About an hour has passed and the base camp has been established. Erected atop the first large dune past the obelisks, the members of the away team are afforded a glorious view of the face of the pyramid.
Feretti, dragging over a final crate of equipment, drops it in the sand in the sun just outside the camp and takes a graceless seat under the shade of the great tarp that has been set up over each of the individual tents.
FERETTI: (fuming) I can’t believe we’re stuck here.
FREEMAN: Knock it off, Mr. Doomsayer.
BROWN: Yes, give it a rest – please.
REILLY: Besides, if we’re not back soon, they’ll just turn the gate on from the other side.
FERETTI: (incredulous) Weren’t you paying attention during the mission briefing, dimwit? The silo’s been emptied out – it’s deader than a church on payday. (beat) If we don’t turn the gate on from here, we’re screwed, alright? Now I’m telling you, we’re not going anywhere!
REILLY: (annoyed) Shut up.
INT. PYRAMID/STARGATE CHAMBER – DAY
Alone inside the stone chamber, O’Neal stands over the FRED, his back to the dormant stargate. Now free of its cargo, the FRED’s surface appears completely bare, unmarred by any visible seams.
Leaning over, the colonel feels along the side of the vehicle, searching for something. Finding a hidden switch, he presses it. With a soft CLICK, a hidden panel on top of the FRED pops open, revealing a secret compartment. Reaching inside, O’Neal pulls out a large metal cylinder.
Judging by the dark LCD timer and the label bearing the symbol of radiation on the side, the cylinder appears to be a thermonuclear bomb.
EXT. BASE CAMP – DAY
Trudging up the side of the dune, Daniel comes to the camp, his large, heavy trunk of books and personal belongings in tow behind him. Dragging it over to his personal tent with visible strain, he releases his hold on the handle then proceeds to plop himself down on top of it. Exhausted, the scholar runs a hand across his sweaty, sandy, reddening forehead. He then begins to go through his supplies for a bottle of sunblock.
DANIEL: Toothpicks … water purification tablets … two-ounce mylar blanket … a sewing kit … compass … processed fruit rolls … sunglasses … (he stops to clip them on over his glasses) breath mints … two knives … signal flares … cyanide capsules … a hammock … string … tape … bandages … first aid kit … everything but sunblock. (turns to the others) Feretti, Porro – didn’t any of you guys bring any sunblock? I’m burning up out here.
The airmen ignore him.
INT. PYRAMID/STARGATE CHAMBER – DAY
Setting the bomb up on its base atop the FRED, O’Neal reaches back inside the vehicle’s compartment and pulls out an arming mechanism. Bringing it over to the bomb, he slides it into place in a slot set in the top of the weapon. The timer automatically lights up with red zeroes.
EXT. BASE CAMP – DAY
FERETTI: (points toward the crate he left sitting in the sunlight) Jackson, we need that crate over here.
Sighing with exasperation, Daniel slowly rises to his feet, groaning from the effort, and begins trudging toward the crate. As he reaches it, Feretti gets up and walks over to Daniel’s trunk, opening the lid. As Daniel retrieves the crate, Feretti begins going through the archaeologist’s belongings.
DANIEL: (opens the crate) Jesus. You guys planning on fighting a war here?
There in the open crate, nestled in neat rows, are two dozen M4 carbine assault rifles.
FERETTI: (angry) Thanks to you, we’ve got the time to fight one.
Reaching deep into the trunk, Feretti pulls out Daniel’s book sack, heavy with thick volumes.
FERETTI: (approaching Daniel) Why don’t you do something useful, Jackson, like maybe a little reading!
He heaves the heavy sack at Daniel. Before the Egyptologist can prepare himself, it hits him square in the chest and he goes sailing backward with a yelp of surprise. Hitting the sand, Daniel and the books go end-over-end down the other side of the dune.
Satisfied with this small bit of retribution, Feretti grins. Turning around, he heads back to his tent, giving Freeman a high-five on the way over.
BROWN: (shakes his head; amused) That’s cold, man.
INT. PYRAMID/STARGATE CHAMBER – DAY
Before O’Neal can go further with the setup of the bomb, a flashlight beam comes shining down from the opening on the far side of the chamber, playing across the ramp leading inside, alerting the colonel to the presence of another. With silent haste, O’Neal pulls the arming mechanism back out of the bomb, deactivating it, then proceeds to place the weapon back inside the FRED’s secret compartment.
Kawalsky enters the chamber just as the colonel presses the panel down, resealing the hidden compartment.
KAWALSKY: Base camp is operational, sir.
O’Neal nods, his face as impassive as ever.
KAWALSKY: I want to apologize for losing my cool out there. It just seems like more is going on here than meets the eye. (beat) For instance, what was that you said about not coming back with us? What was that all about?
O’NEAL: Apology accepted.
Kawalsky just stands there, waiting for the colonel to answer his questions.
O’NEAL: You’re dismissed, airman.
Frowning with silent anger and suspicion, the lieutenant colonel turns away from his superior officer, returning back the way he came.
EXT. BASE CAMP – DAY
Having finished his business at the pyramid, O’Neal comes to the base camp.
O’NEIL: Come sundown, Jackson, Kawalsky and I’ll start off for the road. Like he said, it has to lead somewhere. (beat) Where is Jackson?
Feretti, Brown, Reilly, and Porro exchange glances, saying nothing.
CUT TO
Daniel, his near-empty book sack slung across his shoulder, making the slow climb back up the face of the dune, stopping every now and then to retrieve one of the many heavy books which had spilled out into the sand during their descent. Eventually completing his task and reaching the top, he sets the sack down in the sand and takes a seat, exhausted from all the exertion of the day.
O’Neal can only shake his head.