LIFEBOAT

07.06 Episode 138 (#P272)
Airdate: July 18, 2003

On P2A-347, SG-1 finds a crashed spaceship containing hundreds of people in cryogenic suspension. Suddenly, a bright light races toward them, rendering them unconscious. When Daniel awakens, he becomes hysterical, and once returned to the SGC, he claims to be Martice, Sovereign of Talthus. His EEG suggests that Daniel has entered a coma, and that at least a dozen distinct personalities now inhabit his body. The arrogant sovereign is soon replaced by Tryan, the capable and cooperative engineer of the Stromos, and by Keenin, a frightened young boy who tells of the destruction of his planet that led to their journey.

Tryan explains that the cryogenic process has failsafes that will not allow a consciousness to be separated from the body, unless the body dies. Carter and Teal'c return to the Stromos where they find Pharrin. It was he who had awakened when the ship crashed, and who had bypassed the failsafes to use Daniel as a lifeboat in a desperate attempt to save his dying race. He, too, carries a dozen souls. Carter offers a naquadah power source to save the rest of his race if he will agree to restore Daniel. But one of the precious souls within Daniel is his own son, Keenin.

Pharrin agrees to a heartbreaking sacrifice for the survival of his race, and he returns to the SGC. There, however, he is confronted by Martice, who demands that there will be no sacrifice. Suddenly, Keenin emerges, and father and son share a poignant goodbye, and a promise to be together forever. Aboard the Stromos, the power has been restored, and the transference is performed. In removing the personalities from Daniel, Pharrin attempts to absorb them within himself. There it is hoped the lost souls can survive as the last of their race continues their journey to their new homeworld.

Written by: Brad Wright
Directed by: Peter DeLuise

Guest Starring: James Parks as Pharrin, Gary Jones as Technician, Teryl Rothery as Dr. Fraiser, Travis Webster as Tryan, Ryan Drescher as Keenin, Kimberly Unger as Nurse, Rob Hayter as Orderly, Colin Corrigan as Med Team Leader

Reference: Keenin, Martice, Naquadah Generator, P2A-347, Pharrin, Security Lockdown, Sergeant Siler, Sonic Weapon, Stasis, Stromos, Talthus, Tryan

DESTINATIONS & INHABITANTS

NOTES OF INTEREST

• A dark star would pass close enough to Talthus's sun to cause a flare that would engulf the planet. Three ships were built, including the Stromos, to carry the chosen survivors of their race in an evacuation from Talthus to Ardena, a voyage of hundreds of years. Over one thousand souls were aboard the Stromos.
• A consciousness cannot survive the restoration process without signifcant loss of memory and intellect. For this reason, the consciousness is separated from the body. Each cryogenic capsule contains an active matrix module sufficient to sustain one single mind. Its systems are connected with those that regulate and sustain the corresponding sleeper's body. There are failsafes to prevent one from returning to any other body than one's own, unless the sleepers' bodies are dead. Only then can the failsafes be overridden and the consciousness purged from the system.
• Pharrin carried twelve souls within his body, and downloaded at least another twelve into Daniel.
• SG-4 retrieves SG-1 from P2A-347. SG-12 returns to P2A-347 as backup with Carter and Teal'c.

MEMORABLE REMARKS

• Is he a Goa'uld? [Hammond]
  No, Sir, although at the moment he's every bit as arrogant. [Fraiser]
• Got a nail in my head, Sir. [O'Neill]
  That sounds like our Colonel O'Neill. [Hammond]
• Just find the small woman and tell her that what she gave me is not good enough! [Martice within Daniel]
• Daniel Jackson's preliminary electroencephalogram proved anomalous. [Teal'c]
  I dare you to say that again. [O'Neill]

FOR THE RECORD

• For crying out loud: 1
• Oy: 1
• Siler's injury du jour: seen in the infirmary with a broken nose
• Injuries:
  • O'Neill, Carter, Daniel, Teal'c: knocked unconscious by an alien sonic weapon
  • Daniel: as many as twelve personalities downloaded into his mind