Grace

US Airdate : 16 January 2004

UK Airdate : 6 January 2004

Summary

Having sustained an injury during an alien attack, Carter awakens to find herself abandoned on the Prometheus and trapped in an unexplored nebula.

With only her subconscious as a guide, Carter must find a way out of the nebula before it destroys the ship and her only way home.

Synopsis by Katana

The episode starts as Sam and the crew attempt to bring Prometheus home, they can only use the Hyperdrive for short bursts. As they stop for a "pit stop" the commander says five more of those and they will be home.

However there's a bogey detected, they raise the shields and arm weapons; a huge alien ship comes into view.

There' s no escape; it'll be 2 hours before they can jump to hyperspeed. The alien vessel is scanning them. Ronson tries to communicate with it but they are powering up their weapons. The Prometheus tries to leave at sub light speed as they are fired upon, shields down to 69%. They try to fire back but the missiles are destroyed before they reach their target, shields now at 32%!

Sam suggests that they divert all power to the engines and head for the nearby cloud/nebula, she goes off to over ride the safety doo hickey. As she's working the crystals spark and she's thrown violently against the wall. She falls to the floor unconscious.

When Sam awakes, she has blood on her forehead; she calls the bridge, no answer. She sees a little girl, then walks groggily to the empty mess hall, the bridge is also deserted.

There's no response on the ship wide intercom; all the monitors show empty corridors and rooms.

The Prometheus is inside the cloud a very pretty special effect.

Sam begins a log, the Hyperdrive is off, sub light is off. She notes that all the escape pods are gone, that's what's happened to the crew, they must have evacuated and she's been left behind. The gas seems to be prohibiting the sub light engines from starting; she tries Hyperdrive it fails!

Teal'c appears to her, tells her she must stay awake or she will die,

We hear singing "Twinkle Twinkle little Star…"

Sam activates the distress beacon. Sam works out she has enough food and water to last for several months.

The girl again…"Play with me"

There's a lot of technobabble about the cloud and the Hyperdrive and then Daniel appears. "You're stuck all right!"

"Were you this annoying when you were ascended?" Sam asks.

The two of them discuss the problem, Daniel says she's talking to herself, "You are me talking to me?" says Sam.

Daniel tells her to seize the moment and study the cloud, "Sam you have to check this out, trust me Sam it's important"

There are some odd noises and when Sam checks the read out she sees that there is some structural damage and in 8 hours and counting the hull will be breached!

~~

Back at the SGC, Jack and Daniel enter the lift and discuss Sam's disappearance. Daniel has a list of planets on the Prometheus' route and they will gate to them to see if they made it there. Jack is sceptical, why? If there were a gate, they would gate home! But Daniel explains that when the ship was stranded before they didn't know the planet had a gate, so it's worth a try.

~~

The gases in the cloud are causing the damage to the Ship's hull. Sam seals off the affected sections.

The little girl returns. "Who are you?" Sam asks.

The girl replies in rhyme and then runs off, Sam follows and finds Teal'c. He warns her that everything is not as it seems the crew is being held prisoner by the aliens and by trying to fix the ship, Sam could be giving away Earth's secrets to them. Teal's final advice, "It may be prudent to do nothing."

Sam wakes muttering "This is real." Increasingly concerned about her head injury, she feels it's getting worse. She has a new plan; she will vent air from sections of the ship to try to generate enough propulsion to move it. As she releases the air, she sees the young girl on the monitor been blown about and hanging on to a railing.

Daniel's back, "Have I told you my latest theory?" He explains that cloud could be alive, be a sentient being and we may have offended it by entering it and that's why it's attacking the ship. The little girl is the physical manifestation of the cloud and Sam should try to talk to her.

Sam collapses again.

She wakes to see the girl, then is in the mess hall and the girl serves her a plate of food.

"Who are you?"

The girl doesn't answer, Jacob does, "I'm your father."

He sits down, " Are you happy Sam?"

She says she is.

Jacob says at the moment you are, you are content, but you are missing something in your life, you are alone.

She agrees seeing as she is currently marooned!

But Jacob means something else and goes on to talk about Sam's mother and the wonderful relationship they had and even knowing what he knows now he'd not change anything. Sam cries.

Jacob tells her "it's time to let go of the things that prevent you from finding happiness"

~~

In Cheyenne Mountain Jack and the others return through the gate, the search has been unsuccessful. The planet was a "bust," a primitive society.

Hammond informs them that there has been no word from the Tok'ra. Jack doesn't say anything just leaves.

In the locker room, he's clearly frustrated as he takes off his hat.

"I don't want to hear it."

Teal'c is behind him, he says nothing.

"I'm not in the mood."

Still Teal'c is silent.

"What?"

Teal'c explains how frustrated Sam had been when Jack was lost with Maybourne, he too as he considers Jack to be a brother, a younger one when Jack questions Teal'c age, "What 140?" But he does appreciate what Teal'c is trying to do.

~~

The little girl is now blowing bubbles, Sam starts to talk about surface tension…Boring! Sam blows bubbles herself.

As she's sat on the floor Jack appears in the doorway.

"Alright Carter, come on, on your feet, let's go."

"I was wondering when you'd show up sir."

"You just gonna sit there?"

"Too tired Sir."

Jack sits down as well, "Samantha I'm a figment of your imagination, you're going to call me sir?"

"Old habits, sorry."

"So you gonna save yourself or what?"

"I've tried."

"Just given up then?"

"Just don't know what else to do right now"

"You'll think of something."

"Come to give me a pep talk."

"That's what friends are for."

Sam questions this, "Friends?"

"Hey this is you taking here, might as well be honest!"

"What if I quit the Airforce? Would that change anything or is it just an excuse?"

"I would never ask you to give up your career."

"Because you don't feel anything for me?"

"Carter", Jack says softly.

"I'd let you go right now if I knew."

"That easy?"

"I didn't say it would be easy."

"Then what's stopping you? If you really want to know?"

"I'm trying."

"Maybe it's not me that's the problem, I'm here, I'm not that complex."

"Me?"

"Sam, I'm a safe bet."

She nods, "As long as I'm thinking of you, setting my sights on what I think is unattainable, there's no chance of being hurt by someone else.

"Jacob was right, you deserve more. I will always be there for you, no matter what. Believe me."

Sam gives him a small smile, " Now what?"

"Go save your arse!"

"One last thing…." Sam imagines that they kiss! But says, "…never mind."

The ship is in trouble! Sam asks the girl what she wants; all she gets is bubbles and rhymes. Sam comes up with a technobabble solution, a hyperspace bubble! It works! The ship moves.

Daniel questions her actions.

Teal'c agrees with what's she's done.

Jack, tells them to shut up and let her get on with it!

Sam contacts the other ship, if they will release the crew she will help them escape as they are also trapped by the cloud.

The crew are beamed back, Sam says she will explain later, she activates the bubble to include the alien vessel and both ships are able to leave the cloud.

"Well done Major!" They take her to the infirmary.

Sam wakes in the SGC, Jack is by the bed, as he comes into focus she calls him "Jack."

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry Sir."

"Yes well a massive concussion will tend to disorient one."

"How long was I out there?"

"It's all relative Carter, that whole time, space thing."

"Sir?"

"4 days."

"Could have sworn it was weeks…"

"Teal'c and Daniel say Hi, they're planning a bit of a shin dig for when you are up and around, there's talk of cake."

"Cake?"

"My idea!"

Sam smiles, " Can't wait."

"Need anything? Magazine? Yo-yo?"

She shakes her head; "I'm fine."

"Yes you are."

"Thank you sir."

"For what?"

"Nothing."

Think nothing of it, I've got plenty of that. Jack smiles and leaves.

We hear the echo of Twinkle twinkle little star as Sam closes her eyes.