Tabula Rasa - Recap

Rodney McKay wakes up to find himself tied to a table, with no clue what’s going on. He finds a computer with a note saying to turn it on, and he finds out that he made a recording earlier. The recording says that he understands that he won’t remember anything, then instructs Rodney on how to cut himself loose with a hidden knife. finally, the recording brings up an image of Teyla and say s that Rodney must find her, or everyone on the base will die.

14 hours earlier

Rodney meets with Dr. Brown, who is excited about the new plant samples they’ve brought back from the mainland of their new planet. He invites her to lunch but she begs off, saying she has a headache. He accompanies her to sickbay where Dr. Keller confirms that other people have been reporting the same symptoms. Keller calls Sam and Sheppard and suggests that they order a quarantine, even though the symptoms don’t appear to be worse then a flu… so far.

The Present

Rodney runs into Dr. Zalenka, but neither one of them remember the other. Zalenka says he’s hiding from the soldiers and suggests Rodney come with him, but Rodney goes off to find Teyla.

10 Hours Earlier

Rodney is watching over Dr. Brown and she starts to show signs of memory loss. A nurse in hazmat gear collapses and they realize that the disease has breached the quarantine and their preventative measures. Dr. Brown’s memory loss progresses to the point that she can’t remember who he is.

The Present

Major Lorne and a squad of soldiers stun Rodney and take him away. They don’t notice that he’s dropped the computer with the image of Teyla.

8 Hours Earlier

Keller confirms that people from all over Atlantis are showing signs of the disease and Sam orders Sheppard to prepare the mess hall for the influx of new patients.

The Present

Rodney finds himself locked up with the other Atlantis staff in the mess hall. Neither Keller nor Sam can remember anything about why they are there. Teyla isn’t there either.

The Past

Sheppard starts to display signs of the disease, but Teyla and Ronon both appear to be immune. Ronon goes to Keller who orders blood tests.

The Present

Rodney convinces Sam and the others to help him escape the mess hall.

The Past

Rodney is released from sickbay and meets with Sam and Sheppard. They’ve figured out that taking stimulants helps to slow the memory loss. As a precaution, Sam has Zalenka remove the control crystals from the gate so they don’t spread the disease. Ronon goes back to Keller to see the results of the blood test but she doesn’t remember their previous conversation or already taking the blood.

The Present

Rodney and the others stage a breakout and the soldiers shoot down most of them with stunners. Only Rodney and Sam get away, and start searching Atlantis for Teyla.

The Past

Sheppard and Ronon help set up the mess hall and Sheppard shows signs of memory loss. It becomes clear that as the staff lose memories, they’re becoming increasingly confused and hostile toward the attempts to treat them. Worried, Sheppard goes to speak to Major Lorne.

The Present

Rodney and Sam find Zalenka and they try to explain that they escaped. Zalenka is suspicious but finally remembers Rodney. He has the computer and they find it and bring up the image of Teyla.

The Past

Keller has determined that the disease is spread from the plant samples they brought back from the mainland. She’s also figured out that the locals are immune because the disease is similar to a childhood disease that both Teyla and Ronon had. However, it will take too long to reverse-engineer a cure from their blood. they say that there’s a common plant cure but they can’t go to the planet because the gate crystals are hidden, and Sam can no longer remember where they are. They decide that Ronon and Sheppard will go the mainland in the hope they can find the common plant, while Rodney works to alter the ventilation system on Atlantis to distribute the medicine once they get it. Rodney starts to lose his memories but Teyla wryly assures him that his scientific memories will stay long after his personal ones are gone.

The Present

Rodney, Sam, and Zalenka continue their search for Teyla, narrowly avoiding Lorne and his men.

The Past

Sheppard flies the puddle jumper to the mainland but when his memories start to falter, Ronon stuns him and ties him up, then goes to get the plants. Teyla runs into Lorne who takes her captive after a brief struggle. Realizing his memories are fading fast, Rodney leaves a recorded message for himself on the computer then ties himself down.

The Present

Lorne takes Teyla to the brig and interrogates her, demanding to know what she’s done to the base. He’s acting erratically because of the stimulants he and the men are taking to thwart the memory loss. Sam, Rodney, and Zalenka have followed him to the brig and stun him. Rodney manages to release the force field holding Teyla.

The Past

Ronon returns to the puddle jumper with the plants but finds out that Sheppard has managed to free himself. The amnesiac major gets the drop on him but surrenders after Ronon points out that shooting him won’t do Sheppard any good.

The Present

Rodney returns to the lab with the others and with some encouragement from Teyla, figures out how to complete the reprogramming to use Atlantis’ ventilation system to distribute the cure. Sheppard and Ronon return but Lorne and his men capture them. Fortunately, Sheppard took a picture of himself and gave it to Lorne along with written orders, in case Lorne forgot them. Ronon points out that Lorne has the photo and the major accepts Sheppard’s orders to let Ronon get the cure to Rodney.

The next day, Sheppard wakes up in sickbay, with his memories restored. Rodney is sleeping at Dr. Brown’s bedside, and when she wakes up he’s the first thing she sees… and remembers.

Later, Sheppard wakes up in sickbay 24 hours later, while Rodney is sleeping over the unconscious Dr. Brown. She wakes up… and remembers him.

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