The Discussion
Unable to sleep, Daniel left his home and joined Colonel O'Neill. Jack noticed the younger man seemed slightly embarrassed.
"So, Daniel" Jack said
"Jack" Daniel replied.
"What have you been up to these last five years? Anything exciting?" Jack asked.
"Well I kept myself busy, I spent a lot of time herding mastedges, hauling water from the well, making mud bricks, and I learned how to grind flour." Daniel said.
"Sounds thrilling" Jack said dryly.
"Not exactly" Daniel admitted.
"Daniel, you do know why I came here, don't you? I know you've made a lot of new friends here, but it's time to come home." Jack said. "I'm sorry about ruining your life, but I have orders".
"Uh Jack, you wouldn't be ruining my life Jack" Daniel said, sighing.
"Trouble in paradise?" Jack said gently. He had noticed Sha're didn't appear to be too heartbroken at the prospect of being separated from Daniel. Another marriage down the tubes. Well how likely is it that a man with 2 Ph.D.'s would have a lasting relationship with an illiterate peasant, he thought.
"Our marriage has been deteriorating for some time" Daniel said. "It isn't any one thing, really, more of a combination. Among other things Sha're wants a large family, and I don't think that such a good idea."
"You don't want kids?" Jack asked, his voice betraying his surprise.
"I do, I guess. It's just that I don't want my children to grow up here. Abydos is too primitive. I don't want any daughter of mine to marry at 15, be completely under her husband's thumb, and end up middle-aged at 30, worn out from having a baby every year." Daniel responded. "I always pictured my kids as scholars, not medieval peasants."
"Yeah, I can see your point," Jack said. "It's only natural for a parent to want more for his kids."
"That wasn't the only issue" Daniel continued. "Sha're simply doesn't understand how I feel about anything. I'm not blaming her, she's lived her whole life in this little village, she's never been exposed to another culture before. But she is completely unable to imagine any other way of life, or even different viewpoints" he said, unable to keep the frustration out of voice. "It's not just that, no one here is the least bit interested in learning anything new. This culture has remained the same for 3,000 years, and nobody sees any reason to change anything. I thought I could teach them to read, to learn about their history but they're not interested."
"Well, I'm not that much of a reader myself," Jack said. "National Geographic is about the limit for me. That and Field and Stream. Musta been tough for a guy like you though, being completely cut off from any kind of reading material."
"You have no idea," Daniel said. "I would have killed for a newspaper."
I can see their viewpoint, Jack thought privately. If you had managed to successfully live your entire life without any need for literacy, it would be hard to get too enthused about the concept; especially if you busted your butt from sunup to sundown doing menial labor just to survive. Who would have the time or energy to spare for learning useless trivia? Of course Daniel would never see it that way, Jack thought, remembering the enthusiastic young scientist whose curiosity and passion for knowledge had brought them to the other side of the galaxy.
Feeling badly for his friend, Jack patted Daniel's arm. "Don't feel guilty. These things happen, don't beat yourself up because you can't make it work". Jack said.
Unable to sleep, Daniel left his home and joined Colonel O'Neill. Jack noticed the younger man seemed slightly embarrassed.
"So, Daniel" Jack said
"Jack" Daniel replied.
"What have you been up to these last five years? Anything exciting?" Jack asked.
"Well I kept myself busy, I spent a lot of time herding mastedges, hauling water from the well, making mud bricks, and I learned how to grind flour." Daniel said.
"Sounds thrilling" Jack said dryly.
"Not exactly" Daniel admitted.
"Daniel, you do know why I came here, don't you? I know you've made a lot of new friends here, but it's time to come home." Jack said. "I'm sorry about ruining your life, but I have orders".
"Uh Jack, you wouldn't be ruining my life Jack" Daniel said, sighing.
"Trouble in paradise?" Jack said gently. He had noticed Sha're didn't appear to be too heartbroken at the prospect of being separated from Daniel. Another marriage down the tubes. Well how likely is it that a man with 2 Ph.D.'s would have a lasting relationship with an illiterate peasant, he thought.
"Our marriage has been deteriorating for some time" Daniel said. "It isn't any one thing, really, more of a combination. Among other things Sha're wants a large family, and I don't think that such a good idea."
"You don't want kids?" Jack asked, his voice betraying his surprise.
"I do, I guess. It's just that I don't want my children to grow up here. Abydos is too primitive. I don't want any daughter of mine to marry at 15, be completely under her husband's thumb, and end up middle-aged at 30, worn out from having a baby every year." Daniel responded. "I always pictured my kids as scholars, not medieval peasants."
"Yeah, I can see your point," Jack said. "It's only natural for a parent to want more for his kids."
"That wasn't the only issue" Daniel continued. "Sha're simply doesn't understand how I feel about anything. I'm not blaming her, she's lived her whole life in this little village, she's never been exposed to another culture before. But she is completely unable to imagine any other way of life, or even different viewpoints" he said, unable to keep the frustration out of voice. "It's not just that, no one here is the least bit interested in learning anything new. This culture has remained the same for 3,000 years, and nobody sees any reason to change anything. I thought I could teach them to read, to learn about their history but they're not interested."
"Well, I'm not that much of a reader myself," Jack said. "National Geographic is about the limit for me. That and Field and Stream. Musta been tough for a guy like you though, being completely cut off from any kind of reading material."
"You have no idea," Daniel said. "I would have killed for a newspaper."
I can see their viewpoint, Jack thought privately. If you had managed to successfully live your entire life without any need for literacy, it would be hard to get too enthused about the concept; especially if you busted your butt from sunup to sundown doing menial labor just to survive. Who would have the time or energy to spare for learning useless trivia? Of course Daniel would never see it that way, Jack thought, remembering the enthusiastic young scientist whose curiosity and passion for knowledge had brought them to the other side of the galaxy.
Feeling badly for his friend, Jack patted Daniel's arm. "Don't feel guilty. These things happen, don't beat yourself up because you can't make it work". Jack said.