"Let me ask you a question." "Say there's a runaway train." "It's hurtling out of control towards ten people standing in the middle of the tracks." "The only way to save those people is to flip a switch, send the train down another set of tracks." "The only problem is there is a baby in the middle of those tracks." "Why would anyone leave a baby in harm's way like that?" "I don't know." "That's not the point." "Look, it's an ethical dilemma." "Look, Katie Brown brought it up over dinner the other night." "The question is:" "is it appropriate to divert the train and kill the one baby to save the ten people?" " Wouldn't the people just see the train coming and move?" " No." "No, they wouldn't see it." " Why not?" "Well..." "Look, I dunno say they're blind." " All of them?" " Yes, all of them." " Then why don't you just call out and tell them to move out of the way?" " Well, because they can't hear you." " What, they're deaf too?" "How fast is the train going?" "Look, the speed doesn't matter!" "Well, sure it does." "If it's goin' slow enough, you could outrun it and shove everyone to the side." " Or better yet, go get the baby." " For God's sake!" "I was just trying to..." " Rodney ?" " Yes." "Go ahead." " Rodney ?" " Yes." "Go ahead." "Major Lorne just dialled in from M4D-058." "He says he's got something you'll want to see." "Work it out." "We came through the space Gate and immediately noticed a bunch of small satellites in geosynchronous orbit above the planet." "An advanced civilisation?" "That's what we thought, then we picked up life signs directly below so we flew down, saw several villages separated by a large river and decided to check one of them out, and as you can see..." "Sergeant?" "These people don't exactly look like they're ready to be launching any satellites... at least not for the next five hundred years or so." "The Ancients probably put `em up there." "Send a science team to check it out." "Uh, actually, I think Doctor McKay may wanna come check this one out for himself." " Why?" " Take a look." "Stargate Atlantis" " Saison 3 Episode 15 "The Game"" "Edition :" "Golgi, Linwelin, Malikay, Ricana." "Transcript :" "Callie Sullivan." "Synchronisation :" "Golgi, Malikay, Ricana." "Relecture :" "Golgi, Niko." "How the hell did your face get on that flag?" "Uh, I don't know." "Here's the thing, though: that flag's very similar to the one I designed in our game." " It's exactly like the one you designed in our game." " What game?" " The game Rodney and I have been playing." " We didn't tell you about the game?" " We've been playing for a while now." " Yeah, off and on in our spare time, you know – at night, between missions, uh..." "I could have sworn we told you about it?" " What game?" " Well, it started a while ago... a few months after we arrived here." "Wewereexploringthe city,checkingoutsomelabs on the east pier when we discovered a room." "There were several Ancient consoles and screens..." "it was quite an impressive layout." "As usual, everything sprang to life as soon as we entered." "At first we thought it was some kind of a geological facility..." "There was a screen with a map that we assumed was of the Lantean mainland." " Yes, I remember you briefing me about that." " Right!" "There you go!" "We did tell you!" " You mentioned nothing about a game, though." " Because at first we didn't know what it was... then Rodney studied it more closely." "He realised it wasn't a geological lab at all." "No, it turns out it was, in fact, a kind of, uh, Ancient game room." "The map was of a fictional civilisation as part of a simulated world." "Sweet!" "Yeah, what you do is, you'd take these countries that are already in the database and you'd assume control of them." "Two societies separated by a river straight down the middle." "Sheppard took one country;" "I took the other." "First thing Rodney did was started by renaming his country and putting his face all over the flag." "I think you need to check this planet out." "So the Ancestors created this game?" "So the Ancestors created this game?" "Yes, but this is no ordinary game." "I mean, it is incredibly challenging, instructional..." "I mean, the sheer number of options built into it?" "Staggering." " How does one play it?" " You have to figure out the best way to run your country." "Yeah, you build roads, you establish laws moulded to your own specific ideology..." " You can control everything: proper sanitation systems with water delivery... - transportation..." "I mean, every detail can be manipulated..." "I mean, right down to the women's hairstyles." "Hello there!" "So how do you win this game?" " It's not really about winning." " It's more about whose society outshines the other's." " It's not really about winning." " It's more about whose society outshines the other's." "I mean, who creates a better infrastructure, who's better at trade." "I mean, who creates a better infrastructure, who's better at trade." "What?" "Hey, don't start." "I tried to negotiate with you." "Making a list of demands and not giving anything in return is not negotiating." "I offered you an entire crop of beans." " I don't need beans." "I need lumber." " Oh, right... to build defensive fortifications for your army, which he doubled in size, by the way." "Surprise, surprise." " I only did that after you started cheating." " I did not cheat." "He's giving his people way too much technology for their level of development." " I'm not the only one increasing my army, by the way." " I had to do something to protect the people of Geldar from you." " Geldar?" " The name of Rodney's country." " He named it after a girl he stalked in college." " I did not stalk her." "We dated twice." "Teresa Geldar... a very cute blonde." "I always used to think her name reminded me of some kind of a mythological land." "The Kingdom of Geldar." "What did you call your country?" "Well, I just kept the name it already had." " Well, there are the satellites." " Dozens of them." "Positioned directly above the continent." "A perfect grid..." "ten by ten." "Should have a visual on one of them." " Definitely looks Ancient." " Huh." "And active." "It's transmitting a tremendous amount of data." "Alright let's check it out." "This is amazing!" "If you say so." "Oh yeah!" "That's something you see in a medieval village!" "Yes, well, the Renaissance obviously came early to these folks." "A couple of hundred years early?" "Um, Rodney?" "Say something." " Like what?" " I don't know." "Hello." "I am Nola." "Yes, well, uh, this is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan," "Ronon Dex, and I'm McKay." "Doctor Rodney McKay." "The resemblance is uncanny." " You are the Oracle." " The Oracle?" "Welcome to Geldar." "Please forgive my nervousness." "I never thought you'd appear to us in the flesh." "Why do you refer to him as the Oracle?" "The Oracle is a wise and omnipotent deity." "Boy, she's in for a rude awakening." "Thousands of years ago he gave our ancestors life." "He instructed them how to build their society, how to live their lives." "His guidance was revered by all." "Then one day without warning, the Oracle ceased all communications." " War with the Wraith." " Our people were puzzled by this but they continued to adhere to his instructions living their lives according to his teachings which they passed down from generation to generation." "Have you not had any trouble with the Wraith?" "Yes." "They've come periodically..." "culled our people, destroyed our villages." "Those who survived rebuilt, but only to the level at which the Oracle had instructed before he left." "We found ourselves stalled in our development, unwilling to push forward without the Oracle's guidance, hoping one day he would return to us." "And two years ago, he did." "The Oracle resumed communicating with us, teaching us many new things." "He challenged us to think, to push the limit of our scientific endeavours." "He changed the name of our country and even revealed his likeness to us." "Enough with the pictures!" " Ah." "And you communicate through that." " The portal, yes." "It's through this that we receive our instructions." " And the Oracle knows when you have carried them out?" " Yes." "It's the satellites." "They must be tracking everything that's going on and then relaying it via subspace back to Atlantis." "It's remarkable." " So, not a game after all." " No, it's obviously some kind of..." "Ancient experiment... um, social development, try out different ways to create civilisations." " This country here." " Hallona." "A persistent thorn in our side." "Now that you've come to us, you can help us remove it." "So this is it?" "Yes, yes." "It is an amazing piece of technology." "It appears to be a sociological experiment designed by the Ancients to help them as they were seeding various civilisations throughout Pegasus." "I've had a chance to look at it further and it's interesting:" "there are many more civilisations in the game's database." "Really?" "I thought Rodney said there were only two." "That's what he thought." "The actual countries that he and Colonel Sheppard are controlling are on this specific planet, but I've been able to access the codes to unlock additional levels to the game..." "I mean, to the experiment." "I discovered countries on planets throughout the galaxy." "Some have been idle for the past ten thousand years, I guess awaiting instructions from the Ancients... but, some have managed to develop on their own, even flourish." "Some have been destroyed by war, and others have been completely wiped out." "Not that Rodney's and Colonel Sheppard's societies are on this path." "So much power at one's fingertips." "It's amazing the attraction of this... game." "We've managed to achieve propulsion through hand-powered propellers, but now we're undertaking tests of steam-powered propulsion." " Only this morning I completed a test that proved quite promising." " Really?" "That's great." " You're pleased?" " Yes, yes." "I mean, this is quite an achievement." "What's he doing here?" "It wasn't my idea." "Doctor Rodney McKay, meet Baden." "Oh." "Your guy." " My guy." " Yeah, it figures." "I should have you arrested for trespassing." " Go ahead and try." " Easy now." "I brought him here because we need to have a little discussion." "I have nothing to say to him." " Fine with me." " Yeah, maybe not... but we definitely have something to say to you." "So his story's pretty much the same as Nola's." "His ancestors received instructions from their Oracle who disappeared for thousands of years, only to suddenly resume communicating a few years ago." " Let me guess: he told you to double the size of your army." " Yes, he has a capable army." "And some nice villages." "No people riding bicycles or hot air balloons," " because we weren't cheating." " I didn't cheat!" " Have you come to agree to our trade proposals?" " You mean demands?" "Never." " Then I refuse to sit at the same table..." " Look, please, just... just sit." "Thank you." "This hostility between you, have your people lived like this for thousands of years?" "No." "There was once peace between our lands." " Oh no." " So this hostility..." "um, did it start a few years ago?" "Yes... shortly after the Oracle resumed communicating with us." " So, what, they're starving?" " Well, not as of yet, but if they don't change their approach to agriculture, it won't be too long before many of their people go hungry." "The frustrating thing is that there is a large piece of fertile soil in the south of the country that would be ideal for tuber cultivation, you know?" " Sorry, tuber?" " Tuber, yeah, tuber." "It is indigenous to the planet." "It's a... it's like a potato." " So why didn't you say potato?" " Because it's not a potato." "It's... it's... it's larger." "It has the same texture and nutrients as a potato but it's a..." "like a cantaloupe." " That's a pretty big potato." " Yeah, it is a big potato." "So if they plant this thing there, it'll grow?" "Yeah, oh yes, whole fields of it." "I mean, they could sustain an entire village but... they're oblivious to it." "Tell `em." "Anonymously." "Oh, c'mon, Doc, you can either stand here and let the people die, or you can help `em out." "Sounds like a no-brainer to me." "As soon as we input the instructions into our console, they are relayed back to this device" "As soon as we input the instructions into our console, they are relayed back to this device by a number of satellites in orbit over your planet." "Once you've carried out the instructions, the satellites transmit their real-time results back to us on our homeworld." "So you're saying this is a game?" " No, no..." "I mean, we thought it was a game, but, uh..." " We didn't know there were real people on the other end." " You are the Oracle?" " I'm your Oracle, yes." " That doesn't sound right." " I know this is difficult to absorb, but it is all true." "You flew in the Puddle Jumper." "You know they have the technology." " I'm not listening to this." " Just hold on here a sec." "We can prove it to you." "How?" "Let's go for a ride." "Baden, Nola, this is Doctor Weir, leader of our expedition." "Welcome to Atlantis." "If these two gentlemen haven't done so already, let me please offer you our sincerest apologies for this intrusion into your lives." " Intrusion?" " An imposition, maybe, and a benevolent one at that." " I mean, if you could have seen the villages now compared to the way they were when we started..." " Rodney." " Now, why don't you take them to your game room..." "show them what you two have been up to?" " Right." "Shall we?" "So, this is Geldar and this is Hallona." "Look, two weeks ago I instructed you to start digging a well for the new settlement on the eastern slope and on here..." "There." "See?" "Construction's already begun." "Yes." "I gave the order myself." " Our lives are just a game." " Well, now, no." "They're not games to you and, in our defence," " we were trying to improve your lives." " It's like he said:" "everything we did, every instruction we gave was to better conditions for your people." " And if that meant cheating..." " OK, you know, enough with that already!" " Is the room OK?" " It's fine." " Is the room OK?" " It's fine." "Well, then, if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask, OK?" "You hungry?" "`Cause we could walk across to the Mess Hall." "They've got, um, I think it's, uh, Salisbury steak today." "It's very good." "They have a gravy that they put on the... on the... steak part and, uh..." "The Oracle was a god to us." "I believed in his teachings, so much so that my people elected me leader because of my passion for scientific advancement." "Well, they obviously made the right choice." "Now I must resolve myself to the fact that the Oracle is only a man." "Yeah." "Sorry about that." "It's like I said, though..." "I did what I did with the best of intentions." "To win a game." "No." "No, no." "It is not about winning or losing." "Look, the information I gave you and your people is very real, very useful." "I've set you on a course that will allow you to develop into a modern society." "I mean, what were you two years ago?" "You were a primitive, disparate cluster of villages stalled in development." "Now you're making dirigibles." "Do you have any idea how momentous that is?" "The Oracle once said, "Ask not what Geldar can do for you, but what you can do for Geldar."" " Those were your words." " Um, give or take." "They are very wise." "Yes." "Yes, they are." "Well, now that you know the truth, you can go back to living your own lives." "We won't bother you any more." "No." "You must still help us." "You don't need our help." "You'll be fine." "We need more weapons." "The flying machine you brought us here in... you called it a Puddle Jumper." "Our army could use it." "No." "Can't do that." " But you encouraged me to increase the military." " In response to McKay," " the other Oracle, doing things that I thought were, uh..." " aggressive?" "Arrogant?" "Demeaning to me and my people?" "I will give you arrogant and demeaning but..." "The people of Geldar have started digging a mine beneath our borders to exploit coal resources on our land." "Really?" "It was only confirmed yesterday." "This after several diplomatic attempts to reach a compromise." "Yeah, we couldn't come to an agreement but I didn't think he would start digging." "I'm curious to know what response you would have to such an incursion." "I believe your next command would be to launch an attack on the mine, prevent them from digging further." "I'm right, aren't I?" "Did they believe you?" " Yes." "They are fully aware of the situation." "Not too thrilled, obviously." " We've got a big problem, though." " What is it?" " Game or no game, the fact remains we've started something these people don't seem to wanna stop." "They hate each other and may be headed for a very real war." "Great!" "Great... and this is thanks to your "benevolent imposition"?" "I've asked you both here this morning so we can have a face to face talk." "I've asked you both here this morning so we can have a face to face talk." "Now, hopefully, I can help you reach an understanding." "Where's Doctor McKay?" "Well, I've asked that neither he nor Colonel Sheppard participate in this." "I think they've already done enough in fostering the current tension between you." "Now, I have had some experience brokering peace treaties." "I'm sure we can find some common ground." "OK." "Why don't we start by going back a few years, to the time when your two peoples lived in peace?" "We were naïve back then, ignorant to our potential." "Once we began to challenge ourselves intellectually, we began to see how the people of Hallona had been abusing thousands of years of kindness from us." "I've done everything I could to achieve peace with you." " Really?" "!" "Such as?" " I sent gifts of goodwill." "You sent crates of citrus fruit!" "Citrus!" "Do you have any idea what an insult that is to my people?" "!" " It didn't used to be." " OK, see, I think I know where that comes from." "Did M... the Oracle tell you that citrus fruit was bad?" " He made us aware of its toxic properties, yes." " Everything is toxic to you!" "If they're not busy insulting us, they're complaining about contaminated food, improper hygiene." "Even the sunlight is dangerous to them!" "The only insult has been your unwillingness to compromise in any trade negotiation." " Instead, you choose to increase the size of your army." " You built an army too!" " Only in response to your aggression." " My aggression?" "You dig a mine beneath our border to steal our coal and you have the nerve to talk about aggression!" " We're not stealing your coal." " You crossed into our land!" "What do you need it for anyway?" "It's not like you know the first thing about what to do with it." "You see how she insults us?" " By stating a fact." " Please." "If we can discuss this reasonably," " I am sure we can come to some sort of..." " We've tried." "They agree to nothing." "And until Doctor McKay is brought into this discussion, I have nothing further to say." "That went well." "Talk to them." "Get them back to the table and hammer out a truce." "I have run into a roadblock." " Really?" "Nola seemed very agreeable." " To you." " Yeah, well, more agreeable than Richard the Lionheart." " They are both refusing to compromise." "You seem to have convinced them that they can't make any decisions without your guidance." "That's not true." "Tell them that." "This is delicious!" "Listen, you need to make peace with the people of Hallona." "If tensions keep rising like this, it could lead to war." " I'm aware of that." " Well, then, you're also aware that people will get hurt." "I know the danger to my people." "I also know you've taught us things Baden's band of knuckle-draggers won't learn for hundreds of years." "Under your leadership, we hope to remain many steps ahead of any kind of aggression from them." "Nola, you and your people need to start thinking for yourselves." "Look, I'm not gonna be there for you any more." "You need to take control of your own lives, start making your own decisions about your future." "And there can be no future without peace." " I agree." " Good." "And as soon as the people of Hallona either concede or get out of our way, peace will be restored." "What you told me before, I do realise how monumental our progress has been, and I refuse to let Baden destroy that. "Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds."" "Those are the words of the Oracle." "Your words." " Einstein's, actually, but, um..." " If we yield one bit to Hallona, it will be equal to taking a giant step back in our development." "I owe it to my people to make sure that does not happen." "They're digging further." "Every hour they intrude deeper into our land." "To get them to stop, you have to provide an incentive." " Like attacking the mine?" " That'll cause a whole `nother set of problems." " The only problems will be with the people of Geldar." " Not necessarily." "They can fight back." "What are you saying..." "we should capitulate, let them do whatever they want?" "No." "You make a deal, trade... say, you decide to share some of your weaponry and they in turn give you some of their technology." "John?" "Go ahead." "How's it going?" " Well, he's being a little, uh..." " stubborn?" " Well, he's being a little, uh..." " stubborn?" "I was gonna use a different word." "I'd like you to come to my office." "We need to talk." "They're not open to any kind of deal?" "Not yet." "Maybe we should stick `em in a room, force `em to come to an agreement." "Don't worry about it." "They'll work it out." "Look, we just happened to catch them at a particularly bad time." "Sheppard's guy's been doing a lot of aggressive posturing of late." "The only aggression is coming from the people of Gelding." " Geldar." " Whatever." "His people are digging a mine across the border into Hallona." "The coal resources straddle the border between my country and his." "Barely!" "They go three miles into my country, which your people are happily tunnelling into." "It has been a point of contention between us, OK, but it is just a difference in cartographic interpretation." " Tomayto." "Tomahto." " No, no, it's pretty clear cut." "You entered illegally into my country." " Gentlemen." " You gave me no choice!" "You refused to negotiate!" " You mean give in." " What do you care anyway?" "It's not like your people were gonna use the coal!" " Oh, yeah, that's right." "You need it to power your medieval steam engines." " Stop it." "These are not your lands." "This game is over, so you'd better set aside your differences, because if the two of you can't figure out how to forge a truce, how the hell are these people going to?" "Rodney?" "What?" "You'd better come to the Game Room." " What happened?" " We've just received a data stream from the planet." "Colonel Sheppard's army has launched an attack." "Don't look at me." "I didn't order it." "They're going after the mine!" "Well, looks like your war just started." "Who ordered this?" " I did." " He entered the command on your game console." "I only did it because I know it's something you would have told me to do." "I wanted you to make peace with these people!" " This attack will not go unpunished." " No-one is doing any punishing." "There'll be no further escalation to this conflict." "There's no casualties reported." "Looks like the mine was surrendered without a fight." "I told my army to minimise collateral damage." "You need to get back there." "Take Ronon and Teyla with you." "Go to your respective countries and make sure this does not get any further out of hand." "No-one has been hurt yet." "Let's keep it that way." " You're back." "We were beginning to worry." " What's the status?" "I've ordered three army units to re-take the mine." "They're on their way." " Oh no." "No-no-no." "You need to put a stop to that." " Why?" "Look, we just need to step back and re-assess the situation here, OK?" "We should be thinking about easing tensions, not inflaming them." " Oh no." "They're continuing to advance." " What?" "!" "Divert the units away from the mine." "Have them gather in the village, prepare to defend it." " Isn't this what she's supposed to be stopping?" " Yes." "Look, listen to me." " You cannot engage them." " We must protect our people." "Look, I agree, but you've gotta give Sheppard some time." "He'll call off the army." "Will he?" "Sheppard." "Come in." "Go ahead." "Are you watching what's going on here?" "We just got here." "Pretty much the same set-up as yours." "We don't have electricity, but" "I'm not gonna get into that right now." "Your army is still on the march." "What?" "!" "They're headed for one of my villages." "You need to call them off before they..." "The attack has begun." "Looks like you guys are giving up." "What?" "No, no, no, that can't be right." "That was fast, Rodney." "They retreated without any kind of a fight." "What kind of an army is that?" " Well, at least there's no casualties." " It's alright." "I have another plan." "What other plan?" "Why are you asking me?" "Uh, what are you doing?" " Preparing our counter-attack." " What counter-attack?" "From information you gave us about high-temperature and energetic materials technology," "I have constructed a tactical explosive device." "A bomb?" "You actually built a bomb?" "I told you we'd always be several steps ahead of Baden." "How come I didn't know about this?" "We have yet to test it, so it still appears to not exist." "We will target one of Hallona's outlying villages." "How are you even gonna deliver it?" "I mean, the catapult couldn't possibly reach that far." "I will deliver it." " Using one of the airships you taught us to build." "Go." " Oh, no." "No-no-no-no-no." "Come back!" "You taught them how to build a bomb?" "!" "No!" "Well, not specifically." "Look..." "Ok, maybe I provided them with a list of ingredients but..." " I don't believe this!" "How much damage can it cause?" "Enough to take out an entire village." " Well, then, you must tell them to stop." " I tried that, but it's already on the way!" "How are they delivering it?" "Dirigible." "You just had to cheat, didn't you?" "I did not cheat." "Look... nowhere in the rules did it specifically outlaw the development of flying machines." "Only the... degree and speed of technological advancement." "Well, they advanced pretty damned fast, didn't they?" "Do we still have time to shoot it down?" "Yes." "Yes, I think so." "Then we'd better get moving." " Absurd!" " What are you talking about?" "It's a perfectly reasonable request!" "Oh yeah." "Perfectly reasonable!" "I give you all of my food and my people starve." " I am not asking you for all of your food!" " Perfectly reasonable to me!" " Plus I did say that we would make a deal." " A deal." "Oh yeah." "Baskets." "Big baskets!" "Two dozen of them, hand-woven and very nice." "Oh, very nice." "What am I gonna put in them, huh?" "Certainly not food!" "You know what?" "I think you're holding out on me." "I think you have plenty of food." " Are you calling me a liar?" "!" " No, I think you're trying to squeeze me for a better deal, that's what I think." " I have got nothing to hide!" "Now, if you're..." " Ok, ok, so maybe I'll send some of my army troops down and we'll have a look!" "What the hell are you two doing?" "I thought I gave specific orders to stay away from this device." "Yes, yes, you did." "We just saw that there were some people in trouble and we thought that maybe that we could... um... help." "No!" "No more help." "Clearly we are not qualified." "Now turn this thing off, disconnect the power and seal the room." " Yeah but, ok, we..." " Now!" "Yes." "I hoped you would be proud of our accomplishments." "I am, really." "I just..." "I wish it didn't lead to this." "What's that?" "There it is." " Good." "Now all you have to do is puncture the balloon." " Already on it." "Colonel Sheppard!" " He shot down our airship with the Puddle Jumper!" " Well, don't worry." "No-one was hurt." "He just... he punctured it." "It sank harmlessly to the ground." "Prepare the other bombs for delivery." " Other bombs?" " What, you have more?" "!" "Great!" "Thank you for your help." "You saved the lives of everyone in that village." "We won't be doing that again." "I had no idea they were capable of delivering such a device." "Tell me about it!" "I've issued orders to make certain they don't try again." " What kind of orders?" " A full-scale attack has been launched." "It's time to finish this war." "I've seen this before." "If two sides are dead set on fighting, nothing's gonna stop them." "So I've gotta get Nola to call off the attack." "You couldn't do it before." "What makes you think you can now?" "How about a little encouragement, huh?" "You know, "Go get them, Rodney." "I have faith in you"?" "Ok, whatever." "Look, I am not giving up on these people, which means until we get them to call this war off, then we are staying put right here." " We could use your help." "Come on." " Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell's going on?" "Elizabeth diverted the Daedalus on its way back to Earth to check up on us." "Colonel Caldwell believed that the situation had deteriorated." "He feared that we would become casualties of war and so beamed us out." "Yeah, but I talked him into beaming us back, but we've gotta do something first, so come on." " Do what?" " I've got a plan." " Oh, what plan?" " Oh, come on, already." " How's the situation on your end?" " All-out war." "You?" " Where did you go?" "What happened?" " Uh, nowhere, nowhere." "We were just upstairs." " Someone said you vanished into thin air." " What?" "!" "No, that's ridiculous." "How could we vanish?" "The airships have passed the southern forest." "They're nearing their targets." "Let's hope we strike first before Baden's army reaches our villages." "We'll destroy their will to fight." "Ok." "Listen to me." "For two years now I have been the Oracle to your people." "I have given you much wisdom and guidance and bestowed much of my knowledge." " Look, it's like you said:" "I was a god." " Easy." "And yes, yes, I may just be a man, but that wisdom still remains." "And now, more than ever, you need to heed my guidance and call back those ships." "You told me it was time to start thinking on my own." "Right." "So now I am." "My people are looking to me." "This is my decision and we will be victorious." " Why won't you help us?" " I'm not shooting down any more ships." "We're done helping you wage this war." "Then we'll shoot them down ourselves." "How?" "Our weapons are not as primitive as Nola believes." " Many people will die on both sides." " If you want to leave, then leave." "We'll continue this fight even if you've lost the will." " You're making a big mistake." " The only mistake was not doing this sooner." "You'll see." "This is the right path for my people." " They've reached our villages." " Two have already fallen." "The airships are almost in position." "We should..." "What happened?" "They shot down one of your ships." " It wasn't the Puddle Jumper." " Maybe one of the catapults hit it." "No, impossible!" "Two more villages have fallen." "It appears many are dead." "Sheppard..." "Come in." "Sheppard!" "The radio's dead." "They're coming here." " What, they have bombs too?" "!" " We need to get your people out of here now." "Help them." "Their army has surrounded us." "The road out of the village is blocked." "People are being slaughtered as they try to leave." "We're trapped." "What shall we do?" "It's over." "Rodney, where the hell are you?" "They've dropped another bomb." "Hundreds are dying!" "How can you stand by and let this happen?" " Nola's army has surrounded the village." " We'll get to the Jumper." "They just destroyed it." "We're being overwhelmed." "What should we do?" "Game over." "Rodney, you there?" "Yeah." "We hear you." " We'll give you a call when we're ready to be picked up." " Got it." "I don't understand." "What's going on?" "What you just witnessed is what I would call another level to the game." "See, we were beamed up earlier to our ship, the Daedalus, in... orbit over your planet." "While we were there, I had Doctor McKay hack into the two devices, upload doomsday scenarios for each of your countries into the game." "Everything you saw just now was transmitted from the Daedalus." "You mean... none of this was real?" "No-one was hurt." "No-one was killed." "All just part of the simulation." "In reality, your two armies are standing down, awaiting further instructions." "But we heard explosions." "We felt them." "Thanks to some pinpoint shots from our friends in the Daedalus." "It really added to the realism, didn't it?" "I'm sorry that we had to do that, but you needed to see how this could end." "Feel what a real war is like." "You still think it was the right path for your people?" "Thanks Mei long." "Gentlemen." "How's it going?" "Ah, it's still going." "We're just taking a break." "There's a lot of animosity to be unravelled but I think they are finally willing to at least try to make it work." "Well, it's about time." "Yeah." "And you two?" "Called a truce yet?" "Yeah, sure." "We're good." "Yeah, don't worry." "We're gonna stick to chess from now on." "As long as Rodney doesn't cheat." " Oh, please, like I need to cheat playing you?" " Ok, I'll leave you to it, then." " Ah!" "Checkmate." " What?" "!" "Oh, no-no-no-no-no." "What happened there?" " What happened there is I just kicked your ass." " No, no, I was distracted." "She was, uh..." "Ok, we're going again." "Best of ten."