Touchstone
Spirits ..... The Fifth Race
Written By: Sam Egan
Directed By: Brad Turner
Guest Stars: Tom McBeath, Matthew Walker & Jerry Wasserman
Five weeks after returning from PX7-941, a planet called Medrona, the analysis of a device they have there called the Touchstone has been completed. The device an control the weather of the planet and therefore could be one of the most important pieces of technology they have come across so far as even the Goa'uld do not posses such a device. Carter wants to return to Medrona to examine the device further and the mission gets a go. Arriving back on Medrona they find that the weather is terrible.
SG-1 arrive on Medrona to find the weather in chaos.
The village leader approaches and accuses SG-1 of stealing the Touchstone. SG-1 are ordered to be disarmed but Jack pulls a gun, he tells them that SG-1 definitely did not steal the device. They manage to persuade the Medronan's to trust them and allow them to search for the device.
Returning to Earth Jack tells Hammond what has happened and asks him outright if he ordered another SG team to get the Touchstone, he says he didn't and Jack believes him. Sam is allowed to search the base computers for any un-authorised use of the gate while Daniel and Teal'c watch the weather reports, finding numerous occurrences of strange and wild weather. Sam meanwhile finds a power spike listed on the computers at around the same time the Touchstone was taken, the spike is similar to what occurred when the wormhole jumped to the second gate in Antarctica (see Solitudes). Sam runs an analysis and finds the spikes to be identical, someone is using the second gate.
Sam searches the SGC computers for clues.
Hammond is trying to speak to the President but finds him constantly engaged, it seems someone is trying to stop them talking.
Sam has managed to pinpoint the odd weather to Nevada. This is a strange co-incidence as the second gate also is located in Nevada and Col. Maybourne has also just gotten reassigned to Area 51, in Nevada. Just then General Hammond decides that he needs some special papers hand delivered to Area 51 and asks Jack to do it, of course Jack will need a three person escort, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c.
Arriving at Area 51, SG-1 are given a brief tour of the facility where they find lots of further research into finds they have made is going on.
SG-1 are given a tour of Area 51.
They are then shown to Col. Maybourne and Jack asks him outright about the Touchstone but Maybourne denies it being at Area 51 or being anywhere on Earth. Daniel asks him if the second gate has been used and is told it hasn't, but Jack pushes to actually seeing the second gate boxed up and unused. Looking at the gate they find that the one boxed up is actually plastic, even Maybourne seems surprised. Pushing him really hard, Jack is told that he can't do anything about the use of the second gate as it is a civilian operation.
Even Maybourne seems surprised at the second gate being plastic.
Back at the SGC, Sam comes up with an idea to find the second gate. They will go to Medrona and send a MALP back to Earth, but they will overpower the gate so that the wormhole jumps to the second gate. The plan goes ahead and seems to work, the MALP arrives back on Earth but not at the SGC, before Sam can completely reset the tracking device on the MALP though, someone destroys it. Sam has managed to get a rough idea where it was, Southern Utah.
Hammond takes one last stab in the dark at finding out what is going on and calls up a favour he is owed by a Whitlow, someone who has his fingers in all the government agencies. Whitlow doesn't know anything about the second gate or the Touchstone but when asked about Southern Utah says that he has authorised a C-5 plane to be loaned to the NID who have an airstrip there.
Hammond calls in one last favour.
Hammond authorises SG-1 to go and find out what is going on, but tells them not to fire on anyone as they are going to be Americans and they can't go around shooting there own, if they take fire they are to retreat and take cover, Jack isn't to pleased.
Arriving at the landing strip, they observe some people with the boxed up second gate, they seem to be about to move somewhere. Raiding the building they take the NID people by surprise, as they approach the gate they hear someone in a van next to the gate dialling it up. The NID guys escape through the gate but Jack fires on them when they also try and take the Touchstone.
The NID guys escape.
Returning to Medrona with the Touchstone, they watch as the weather correct itself and returns to normal, the locals are very grateful.
The Touchstone device goes to work.
Back at the SGC, Hammond tells them that the second gate is having an iris permanently welded to it and will now be under his control, it will never be used again without him knowing.
Spirits ..... The Fifth Race