Stargate?

I pass this house frequently, and I can't help feeling that if you walked up the path you might end up on another planet.

(Skeptics may say it's a frame for climbing plants, but it's been there for a long time, and never had any plants on it.)

Atlantis bureaucracy

Two scenes from Stargate Atlantis. Nothing profound, just funny. Spoilers for Stargate Atlantis Season 5 Episode 14: The Prodigal

(This clip switches from the first scene of the episode to the second last scene of the episode around the halfway mark, but it's not immediately clear - the change is when he says 'anyway I just wanted to stop by...')

Cross-cultural persuasion

What are we going to tell them, Teyla? “Listen, kiddies, everything you believe to be true is wrong, and trust us because we've been here for almost an hour.”

~Stargate Atlantis 1:06 Childhood's End

It's amazing that it's taken over 7 years of Gate travel for someone to articulate this. Even more amazing that it's McKay, not exactly known for his humility or seeing other people's point of view, who realises it.

Nothing to do with the quote, but MacKay being babysat by these two is one of the fun things in this episode.

[Edit: he does spoil it a few scenes later when he proposes stealing the power source from their only defences, and then solving the obvious safety issue by deporting them all to Atlantis 🤦‍♀️]

Stargate mental health

I've been writing this off and on for a loooong time. There's so much more I could add, and so many ways I could rewrite it to flow better. And if I publish it now, I won't be able to keep on and on improving it. Alea jacta est.

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The members of Stargate SG1 really have remarkably robust mental health.

All have had traumatic events in families and relationships: When they were children, Sam's mother and both of Daniel's parents were killed in accidents, and Teal'c's father was murdered.

Daniel lost his wife after three years of her being forcibly married to another man; 

Daniel & Sha're

Jack and Teal'c are both divorced - Teal'c without his wife telling him; every potential romance for Sam ends in the guy dead or presumed dead (except Jack, but that's a no-go as he's her commanding officer, a situation which both of them sometimes find difficult). Daniel was the victim of a serious sexual assault; Sam barely escaped at least one.

Jack's young son accidentally killed himself with Jack's gun (which did lead to him being suicidal for a while); 

Jack with Charlie

Teal'c's relationship with his own son is somewhat rocky, as is Sam's with her dad and brother. Daniel grew up in foster care as his grandfather didn't want him.

Teal'c had to leave his home and culture, and is considered a traitor by many of his people.

The work they do can be dangerous: All have been imprisoned and enslaved multiple times, and been in many other no-way-out situations. All have been near death, both on the battlefield and in hospital beds.

While the other three are military, Daniel is a civilian thrown into combat situations. They have lost close friends. All(?) have had to shoot or kill someone they care about (not to mention countless enemies).

Jack's time with black ops involved him in some 'damned distasteful things'; Teal'c can't forget the atrocities he commited when he served Apophis. 

Teal'c looking pensive

Even some of their well-intentioned actions have had disastrous, unforseen, consequences for people they were trying to help.

As if that wasn't enough, having met several alternative-reality versions of themselves, they have all seen how their lives could easily have been very different - in both positive and negative ways.

On top of all that, the Stargate programme is top secret, so nothing they do in their everyday jobs can be mentioned to friends or family.

Trying to convince her dad that her 'desk job' is way more exciting
than joining NASA and going to space.

And that's just the psychological stuff - there's also the physical assaults on their brains:

Daniel's grandfather lives in a psychiatric hospital - such things can have a genetic element.

Jack took drugs back in the 70s. [Possibly - I got this from a couple of things he said, but somewhere else he implied he didn't 🤷‍♀️]

Daniel was tricked into addiction to an alien device which altered his personality - and then had to come off it cold turkey. 

Another alien technology caused him to experience hallucinations, and brain scans showed signs of schizophrenia, which lead to him briefly being sectioned until they discovered the cause.

 

OK, the padded room was maybe a bit OTT. But the acting was great.

 

Sam's mind was taken over by an alien parasite, and she occasionally has flashbacks of its (sometimes very disturbing) memories.

Between them they have also experienced: minds swapped with someone else;  hallucinations; superpowers (combined with super stupidity); mind taken over by a computer; mind transferred into a computer; false memories, an alien language, or a depository of alien knowledge embedded in their mind; being stuck in a time loop; various mind-control drugs; brainwashing, rapid aging, regressing to a neanderthal state...

And, of course, there's the fact that several times a week their entire body - brain included - is disintegrated into molecules, sent many lightyears through a wormhole, and then reassembled again.

And after many years of this stuff, they're still considered fit for active duty. 

As I say, remarkably robust mental health!

Well, mostly...

Out of sight

I was recently rewatching the original Stargate movie. MASSIVE SPOILER FOLLOWS

In it, Ra is waited on by an entourage of child attendants, who, when he is threatened, are trained to instantly act as a human shield.

Of course, when they do that, our guys stop their attack. They're not going to shoot a bunch of children.

However, all's well that ends well. Ra is finally defeated, and Earth is saved, when O'Neil nukes his ship and kills him.

And, in the process, presumably kills those same children (and the cat).

 

This made me think of Hiroshima. It has been argued that the bombing was justified, because of the many more lives it potentially saved.

However, would those who ordered or carried out the attacks have considered it an acceptable loss of life if they had had to individually execute all of those tens of thousands of civilian men, women and children? Or even mow a crowd of them down with machine guns?

It seems to me that, if war is considered to be ethical at all, the more hands-on the better. If you are fighting hand to hand with an enemy who you can see (and who also has a fair chance of killing you) you know what you're doing, and you're putting your life on the line for your cause, whatever it is.

Throwing death from a distance at unseen enemies dehumanises them - and hardens you.

Final Stargate episode

Just watched the final episode of Stargate SG1 last night :-(

10 series; 214 episodes!

Actually, SG1 isn't quite finished - there are also two movies, one of which ties up all the unresolved plot of the series.

And of course, I've still got two Stargate Atlantis series to watch (from what I've heard, I won't be bothering with the other spinoffs).

Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink

I was watching an episode of Stargate Atlantis in which someone comments that 'it takes forever to get things from Earth that aren't vital to the success of the mission'.

Elsewhere in the episode, there are several scenes in the cafeteria:

From Stargate Atlantis 3:17 "Sunday"

Is it vital to the mission that they have Evian water to drink?

This is Atlantis:

Admittedly, the water surrounding it is salt water. But surely an ultra-high-tech city like this would have a desalination plant?*

Or, if they really want spring water, the mainland isn't too far away.**

I can easily suspend my disbelief to accept that they have found the lost city of Altantis in the Pegasus galaxy, and that they have a ship with hyperspace drives that they can use to get there.

But importing bottled water 3 million light years? That's unbelievable.

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* Having restarted watching the series - it is in fact established in the first episode that they do have a desalination plant.

** A 25 minute flight

Sacrifice

I liked this scene anyway, but something I read made me think of it in the context of God the Father, Jesus, and the cross - vague parallells only, of course. (Now that I think of it, Vala is basically Peter in Matthew 16.)

Brief context: Daniel is trying to make a vital weapon, using a machine which nearly killed a former member of their team a few years ago.

He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all.

Romans 8:32

Multiverse

I don't subscribe to the multiverse theory of the origins of the universe (God is much more plausible).

BUT it is a gift to science fiction writers. Especially when the different universes get confused.

15 Sam Carters trying to figure out how this happened, and how to fix it :-D
(SG1 9:13, Ripple Effect)

Mitchell enjoying a drink with himself.

If Stargate SG1 were missionaries

 

OK, that's a bit of a stretch, since none of them are Christians. But in an alternate universe... Actually, there are a lot of similarities - travelling to other places, rescuing people and telling them the 'gods' they worship are not real. So we know how their characters react in those kinds of situations.

The following is based on what I know of them in most of the first seven seasons.

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Daniel would immediately start adding their new language to his twenty-four(?) others, and would work on Bible translation.

I can see him also being involved in apologetics. He would be a peacemaker like Mary Slessor - though possibly not knitting while he did so :-)

He would have no problem with the 'all things to all men' thing. He would fit into the new culture in no time, trying their food, adopting their dress and customs. He'd end up marrying a local girl (hopefully on purpose this time!)

He would be fascinated by their culture and beliefs, and not assume 'different' always meant 'wrong'. He would see the best in everyone, even if they were attacking him. I can see him getting on well with Elisabeth Elliot.

However, a certain naivete and lack of discernment could lead to him accepting cultural practices without understanding them, and could even lead to syncretism.

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Jack would not have this problem - he would find it hard to see that any way but our way of doing things could be OK. Especially if it involved bringing up children in a way he disapproved of. He'd have no problem stealing children from temples, like Amy Carmichael.

He would be a more in your face proclamation kind of guy. No subtlety or tact - he would call a spade a spade.

Jack on his soapbox while Daniel looks on in exasperation (Red Sky 5:5)

He would be well able to cope in a technologically simpler society and could turn his hand to any practical work, like fishing, or making nails.

He would lead the kids' work, and they would all love him.

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Sam solves problems with science, so she'd get involved in well digging or radio broadcasting or whatever was needed. If they used motorbikes at all, she'd keep them running. Her big problem would be not taking time off. 

Although she's a capable lecturer, I can't really see her preaching. Maybe she'd be involved in training.

She would be particularly concerned with oppressed people. Maybe she'd work with young women? She would find it hard to fit into a culture where women were not treated as equals.

She would see the potential in people and be willing to give them a second chance.

Sam & Jack might get married, as there would be no military regulations preventing it - but I'm really not sure how that would work out.

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Teal'c already had to adapt to a completely different culture when he came to earth. Therefore he'd probably cope well in this new one. He also would have the advantage of coming from a non-western, pagan culture.

I'm not sure what his main work would be. He could hardly spread the gospel by pointing a weapon and saying "Renounce Apophis [or whoever] as a false god and join us ... and I will spare you." :-) Though in dangerous situations he could be very useful just by looking scary.

If persecution or martyrdom was on the agenda, he'd face it without flinching.

I don't know if he'd remarry, but if he did, he would find the 'leaving wife & children for the sake of the gospel' thing too easy.

Oh - and wouldn't it be cool if he could somehow replace his forehead tattoo with a cross?

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Jonas - I'm imagining he joined them again - could use his quick learning skills to help both Sam and Daniel. Perhaps his own focus would be theology - I can see him being particularly interested by prophecy.

Like Daniel, he would be fascinated by the new culture. His friendliness would be helpful, though could lead their opponents to thinking he could be easily manipulated. They would be wrong - no matter how many beautiful women they tried throwing at him.

As his current job is an ambassador, his new role as an ambassador for Christ would be very apt.

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So, there you are. I don't know if you're interested, but at least getting this on paper has got it out of my head :-) Because I have nothing else to do with my time... though I have been writing this for quite a while, now, in bits.

Encouragement

JONAS: So far, my track record is not great.

TEAL'C: Perhaps that is so. But there are many battles left to be fought, Jonas Quinn.

~Stargate SG1 6.03 (Descent)

Cultural superiority

SG1 Season 5 Episode 18 'The Warrior'

O'NEILL: Yeah, well, where I come from, we do things…a little differently.
KYTANO: And you would have us change our ways to suit yours.
O'NEILL: I didn't say that, but if it's not too much trouble…
BRA'TAC: Kytano. Colonel O'Neill. It is my hope that we can learn from our differences, that they bond us together, make us stronger.

O'NEILL: What the hell are you doing!?!
KYTANO: Do you now see the strength of our resolve?
O'NEILL: I see the strength of your arrogance!
[...]
DANIEL: I think what Col. O'Neill is trying to say is that we do things a little differently.
KYTANO: Yet again, you remind me your ways are different. We should abandon centuries of Jaffa tradition and follow the ways of the Tau'ri*. Which of us is arrogant?

Their concerns about Kytano's approach to things are legitimate (and, it turns out, very justified). And, while some things may be a matter of opinion, there is also absolute right and wrong. But when dealing with people from another culture, 'we do things differently' is not an argument. Especially when - as in this case - you're on their home territory.

Something for everyone - but particularly, in our time, white westerners - to remember.

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*Earth

Why we need people with different areas of expertise than us

They're trying to diffuse a bomb, using instructions in a language based on ancient Phonecian.

CARTER: Uh, dammit! This is not working!

DANIEL: It doesn't make sense! It clearly says three to blue, four to orange, and three to blue!

JACOB: How much time do we have?

CARTER: Less than a minute.

DANIEL: Okay! These are Tobin numbers. This is 1, this is 2, this is 3…

CARTER: Wait, wait! What about zero?

DANIEL: What?

CARTER: Zero. Why didn't you say zero?

DANIEL: Uh…be…because there's no zero in the Phoenician numerical system.

JACOB: What if the Tobins added it?

CARTER: He's right! Inventing technology with this level of sophistication would require a zero.

DANIEL: Why?

CARTER: Just trust me, it's a math thing.

DANIEL: So, I've been off by one this whole time?*

CARTER: 30 seconds.

DANIEL: Well, okay then, uh, uh, two to blue, three to orange and…and two to blue.

[Carter turns the handle as Daniel speaks.]

DANIEL: That's it!

JACOB: They got it!

Serpents Venom Stargate SG1 (4:14)

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*I realise this makes no logical sense - you wouldn't add zero by shunting all the numbers up one!

No consequences?

There's an episode of Stargate (4:6 Window of Opportunity) where the earth gets stuck in a time loop, repeating the same 10 hours over and over again. Only Jack and Teal'c are aware of what's happening.

They are getting increasingly frustrated, when Daniel points out: "if you know in advance that everything is always going to go back to the way it was, then you could do anything for as long as you want without having to worry about the consequences."

Cue a lot of silliness...

Jack: How far is Aloris, anyway?
Teal'c: Several billion miles, O'Neill.
Jack: That's gotta be a record.

What's interesting, though, is that (apart from Teal'c pre-emptively slamming a door in the face of a poor guy who has 'repeatedly' opened it in his) neither of them uses this opportunity to do anything morally wrong.

Which is good, because Daniel's statement about things done during this period not having consequences is incorrect. 

Sure, they don't have physical consequences. And no-one else remembers what they've done. But Jack and Teal'c do, and can learn from each repeat.

In fact, Daniel himself is relying on this. Their accumulated knowledge, gained over the months of looping, enables him to complete the impossible task of translating an Ancient text in a few hours. A text that lets them eventually figure out what's going on - and  stop it.

Everything we do has consequences. It may not obviously affect the world or others, but it affects us. By repetition we train our character, whether for good or bad. What we do - even what we think - changes who we are. And that does have consequences, for ourselves and others.

the mature [...] by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Hebrews 5v14

train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 

1 Timothy 4v7-8

Gods can't die

In Stargate, they spend a lot of time fighting against false 'gods', and trying to persuade the people they have enslaved that they are not gods at all. Rightly so.

One of the things that sometimes convinces them is that a god can't be tortured, suffer fear or pain; and a god can't die.

Big problem with that argument - the real God was, and the real God did!

Of course, there were two huge differences. As he said, 'I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.'*

I'm glad my God chose to die. I'm glad 'it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him'.**

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*John 10 v 17-18

**Acts 2 v 24

Jack Daniels

 

The name Jack Daniels means: The Lord is gracious; God is my judge.

This fascinating fact has been brought to you by a tangential mix of two separate episodes of Stargate, Google, and Kirsty's peculiar brain.

Hidden theology in Stargate

The other day I watched season 3 episode 8 of Stargate (Demons) 

POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THIS EPISODE

The episode is set on a planet inhabited by people descended from Mediaeval Europeans. They are Christians, but seem to focus more on their fear of 'demons' than of God. They are being terrorised by an Unas monster which is posing as a demon but actually has a Goa'uld - an evil parasitic alien - living inside it.

Towards the end, the Unas comes threateningly towards Simon.

UNAS - Your God has abandoned you.
SIMON - My God is with me always.

Later, the canon describes what happened:

Simon…stood before it like…like David before Goliath. The demon threw him aside and then he fell.

I'm not sure what the canon - or the writer - meant by this. Possibly he's just referring to Simon's (uncharacteristic) bravery. But it seems to me that there's more to it than that.

It turns out that the Unas was not just going to attack Simon. It was dying, so the Goa'uld parasite needed a new host. And in the end it took over the canon instead.

At first I thought - well, naturally it would choose a self-serving and nasty man like the canon over Simon.

But being a nice person has never saved anyone from being taken by a Goa'uld before. Daniel's wife and brother-in-law, for example. That's what makes the Goa'uld so scary - anyone, even good guys, can have their minds taken over by them and be used for evil.

But Simon is not just a good guy. Like David, God is with him. It's not his own strength that protects him, but God's. That's what makes the difference.

At least, that's how I interpreted it.

See I was right when I said they needed God!

Fiction

If you find yourself wishing that characters in a science fiction story knew God - and thinking it would really help them in their struggle against the evil aliens if they did - is  that a sign that you're looking at the world in the right way, or that you've completely lost the plot?  :-)

Body 'paint'

From Stargate SG-1 Season 2 Episode 19 'One False Step'

DANIEL: Well, they're not naked. They're covered with something. Look, it's some sort of body paint that hardens into a second skin when it dries.

 Interestingly, a kind of body paint that zips up the back :-)

Zip

This man is from another planet. His ancestors left earth millenia ago, and have developed separately, advancing far beyond us. They can walk through walls and send messages to light years away in a few minutes. They consider quantum physics to be a 'misconception of elementary science'. They call us primitive.

Omoc from Stargate SG1 episode 17, 'Enigma'

He fastens his clothes with a standard zip.