The news that General O'Neill had beamed onto Atlantis spread like wildfire. It wasn't just the fact that the expedition had not heard the general was visiting, it was the fact that he was dropped of by an alien who 'just happened to be in the neighbourhood'.
When the news got to the gym John immediately stopped his fight with Teyla and headed for the control room, where the general had supposedly appeared. Lorne was already there greeting him.
When asked he just told Senior personnel that he had decided to retire to the beautiful city of Atlantis. Even if the galaxy was infested with 'space vampires'.
Even if the people had wanted to question him further he told them he was tired and just wanted to put his stuff down somewhere –he had just traveled from Earth's galaxy to another one called Othala before finally reaching Pegasus.
Jack remembered when the change began. Like every other day, He was in the control room. Just watching as the men and women were organizing out the rescue of Major Lorne's team, who had apparently missed check in by three hours. Jack knew as every other person or being experienced with gate travel, that that usually meant capture, being pinned down by an enemy, or some other disaster that their teams usually found themselves in. One of the technicians asked him the reason for him coming to Atlantis. Jack made the mistake of telling him too much, and yet at the same time, not telling him enough.
"I retired here because Don't ask, Don't Tell was about to be revoked, and Atlantis is the best place to retire off world."
The Canadian, who had up till then been quite pleasant, suddenly became engrossed in what he was doing, no longer initiating conversation. Jack just shrugged it off as a Canada/America thing.
However he soon found out how wrong he was. Project "Ignore Jack O'Niell" was started. It spread slowly, with the last contributor being Major Lorne. During conversations, the people would either ignore him, or if they were asked a direct question, they would give a very short answer.
Jack began counting down the days leading to the Apollo's arrival, with the knowledge that thee would be at lest one person aboard who would accept him.