For notes, warnings and disclaimers see chapter 1
Additional warning: references to the unpleasant side of human history
This chapter was slightly edited on September 15, 2005

Chapter 18: A Matter of Perspective
(Daniel's POV)

"I assume you know why I called you in here, don't you?" asks the general.

"Yes, sir. This has to do with the incident in Simarka, doesn't it?" I say, having seen Janet walk out of here a few minutes ago.

"It does, though a more pressing concern right now is what should be done about Captain Carter under the circumstances. The truth is that given this new information I'm not entirely sure of whether or not she should be allowed to remain a member of SG-1 at all. In fact I'm beginning to think that maybe we should reconsider the idea of allowing women to serve in off-world teams in the first place," he says, not that that statement comes as much of a surprise. It just confirms my fear that I'm going to have to change his mind about that... and that means that things may be about to get ugly around here, after all, I did promise Sam that I would do everything within my power to keep that from happening.

"With all due respect, sir, we need her on our team and we most definitely need women out there," I say. "It's true that the incident in Simarka was extremely serious and should never have happened, but the fact is that not having women assigned to the SG teams could turn out to be just as disastrous. I mean, look at what happened when Hathor took over the base... and that was nothing compared to what could have happened if the base had had an entirely male population rather than an almost entirely male population. The fact is that off-world the presence of female team members is our best defense against a possible infiltration by a queen Goa'uld. Besides, what will happen the first time an all male team encounters a strictly matriarchal society? It is true that, as a rule, matriarchal societies are less likely to be violent toward males than patriarchal societies are prone to be violent toward women but the fact remains that an all male team would not be listened to in those instances and that may well turn out to be crippling. We just don't know what we are going to find out there and because of that in the end diversity may well be the key to our survival.

"As for what happened to Sam, well, I have to say that, to a large extent, that was my fault. If I had been doing my job it could almost certainly have been prevented, though I do agree that some changes may be required to avoid any future incidents."

"What do you mean it was your fault and what kind of changes do you propose?"

"Well, sir, the truth is that when we first arrived in Simarka we were given a chance to come back to earth but I was curious and I insisted that we should stay, even over Captain Carter's objections," I admit. "That was my first mistake but it wasn't the only one. The thing is that while I pushed Sam to try to fit in by adopting their dress and customs up to a point --and, even worse, by allowing them to segregate her from the rest of the team-- I failed to take it far enough... I didn't push the rest of the team to take it far enough.

"I should have remembered that in a society in which women were seen as property the only protection a woman could hope to receive was the protection afforded to her as her 'husband's' property... and at least among the Shavadai hospitality was sacred."

"I'm afraid I'm not quite following you, son," says the general.

"What I mean is that Sam was left exposed because we insisted on holding on to our ways when we shouldn't have. If one of us had claimed Sam as his own she would have been safe --furious, but safe-- but we didn't. We kept insisting on the fact that she didn't belong to us, that she was our equal, and we just expected the Shavadai to accept that. They couldn't. That notion went against everything they had ever known and going by their laws, since Sam was not under any man's protection, Abu felt he was well within his right to claim her as his own and trade her. Trading a woman was acceptable from his perspective, stealing from his father's guests would have been unthinkable," I explain.

"And what do you think could be done to prevent another such incident? Dr. Fraiser mentioned that you may have some ideas in that regard," he pushes.

"Yes, sir. For SG-1 I now certainly know better. I know that if we ever find ourselves in a similar situation in the future we are to do everything within our power to return to earth immediately and, if that's not an option, then Sam's got her choice as to who she wants to play her loving husband. As for other teams, with your permission I would like to work with Captain Carter on putting together a sort of manual for both female SG personnel and for their COs."

"A manual?"

"Yes, sir. It would basically outline the specific dangers women are likely to encounter out there and it would also provide them with a general idea of how different human cultures have treated and perceived them throughout history. In addition to that I would also like to include some basic information on how to safely handle some foreseeable sticky situations. I know something like that won't be the answer in every single case but the fact remains that, given that most of the cultures we've encountered so far --including the Shavadai-- have been based on ancient earth civilizations, it would at least give our people a starting point. I guess in a way you could describe such a manual as a specialized crash course on field anthropology that will hopefully enable SG teams to assess a situation from a different perspective, one that at times may be better suited for the work we do here than the military approach."

"And why would you want Captain Carter to help you with that? It's not exactly her field, is it?"

"Well, sir, even though I'm well aware that she's an astrophysicist, not an anthropologist, the fact remains that she is by far the woman who has had the most experience when it comes to going through the gate and dealing with other worlds. The thing is that since such a manual would be intended to help mostly female personnel, her personal experiences with both the Shavadai and other cultures are likely to add a valuable insight to the project. In addition to that, to be perfectly honest, I think helping me would probably do her some good," I explain before going on.

"From what she's told me it seems that one of the things she's been doing these past few months is trying to understand what happened to her, trying to figure out what she can possibly do to keep herself safe if she were ever to find herself in a similar situation. She's been researching from home and I'd hate to see that research go to waste when it could actually be used to prevent another incident in the future. In addition to that there's the fact that Sam is, above all, rational. She needs facts to be able to come to terms with what's happened to her and I think helping me do this would provide her with some of those facts... as well as with a better understanding of just what it is that may be waiting for her out there.

"The thing is that we have to remember that speaking in cultural terms there are very few absolutes and when we travel to other worlds we must leave our own preconceived notions behind or run the risk of being ambushed by them when we can least afford it. I think that is one of the things that must be emphasized... and I'm afraid that that is also one of those things that, to be quite honest, most SGC personnel are still not fully aware of."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, sir, take the situation in Simarka for example. As strange as it may sound, while it is undeniable that Sam was raped by Turghan, it is equally undeniable that Turghan did not rape Sam," I explain.

"I'm afraid I'm not following you, son. It's either one or the other," says the general, looking rather confused.

"Actually, sir, it's not. In a way even that is a matter of perspective and that's why I said that we have to accept that there are very few absolutes in cultural terms. Without condoning what Turghan did, or minimizing the impact of what's happened on Sam's life, the fact remains that that impact was determined more by her cultural background than by his actions. It is true that Turghan was trying to punish her, to assert himself in the most primal way possible, but it is also far more complicated than that," I say.

"The thing is that from his perspective --or from the perspective of a woman who had actually been born and raised in Simarka, for that matter-- there was no way that he could actually have raped her. According to their laws she belonged to him and the idea that her consent mattered is a thought that never crossed his mind... and, as distasteful as we may find it, the women on that planet actually shared his perspective in that regard. In their world there was an acceptance of abuse as a fact of life, as something that was to be expected, as something that wasn't even worth mentioning. That means that while no one would have deemed what Sam went through to be a pleasant experience, it was something that in her case was undoubtedly magnified by the cultural differences between herself and Turghan. It was something that was magnified by Sam's taboos, expectations and preconceptions... and what happened in Simarka is just a single example of that, though I'll grant you that it is a dramatic one, one that goes to the core of our own social code. That is why I said that making SGC personnel more aware of the existence of those fundamental differences is going to be critical, and that is also the reason why it's going to be so difficult: because at times those differences will challenge some of our most basic assumptions about human nature."

"I'll say... I would have assumed that the concept of rape was common sense," says the general, shaking his head.

"It's not, sir, not even in our own world or throughout history. Take Greek mythology, for instance," I explain, going for the most obvious example. "The 'rape of Europa' refers to an abduction and the word 'rape' in that context has no sexual connotations, in fact the sex between Zeus and Europa is consensual. The thing is that in antiquity the sexual connotation of the word applied mostly to male on male rape, rather than male on female. Back then women were often seen as property at best, war trophies at worst, and up until a few centuries ago what we perceive as rape was seen as a crime against a man's honor --usually a father or a husband-- rather than as a crime against the woman who actually endured it. Besides, going back to the incident in Simarka, we don't even have to look that far back to see how it is something that wouldn't have been given a second thought here on earth. Even if our laws don't recognize it as such, the fact is that when the rape happened Sam was --at least by his definition-- Turghan's wife... and in this country up until a couple of decades ago it was impossible for a woman to accuse her husband of rape, simply because marriage was seen as implying lifelong consent.

"Anyway, the bottom line is that we can't expect off-world cultures to share our core values and taboos, nor can we blame them for the fallout of the unavoidable cultural clashes when we are guests in their worlds. We have to face the fact that, as different as they may be, in their worlds their laws apply, just like when we travel abroad here on earth we are bound by the other country's laws rather than by our own. Of course, even though there are some obvious similarities between gate travel and international travel, there are also some equally significant differences, starting with the fact that when we travel abroad we usually know what to expect, at least to a certain extent. That is a safety net we don't have when we step through the gate. That's why I think providing some sort of manual or guidelines to help SGC personnel become more aware of some of the more obvious threats that may be out there is so important. On top of that I think that now that the SGC has become more organized and the teams are growing more specialized, perhaps it would be a good idea to keep new recruits out of first contact teams. That should enable them to get some hands on experience in dealing with other worlds in a somewhat controlled environment and then it should be possible to transfer some of them to first contact teams, once they are truly ready. I know it is not an ideal solution but right now that's probably the best we can do."

"In other words you don't think that pulling Captain Carter from SG-1 is necessary?" insists the general.

"No, sir. In fact I think pulling her from the team would be disastrous both for the program and for Sam, but that doesn't mean that nothing happened here. I do think, however, that this was a lesson we had to learn and learn the hard way. We have to be more aware of the fact that the rules we are familiar with don't necessarily apply on other planets. We may speak of a universal declaration of human rights but those rights aren't always a reality here on earth, much less out there... and team members have to understand that a US Air Force uniform means absolutely nothing once they step through that gate. That means that we can't afford to get cocky and it also means that we have to be better prepared to deal with the cultural differences we are bound to encounter, but it certainly doesn't mean that we have to bury the gate to keep the monsters at bay."

"But can you assure me that the measures you are proposing would be enough to keep our female personnel safe? What would happen if you were to come across a society that is less hospitable than the Shavadai, a society in which being under her 'husband's' protection won't be enough to keep Captain Carter safe?"

"Well, sir, if we were to come in contact with a society that is less hospitable than the Shavadai then the fact that Sam is a woman would effectively cease to be an issue. When confronted with a hostile society, whether it is a patriarchal one or not, we will probably find ourselves in a position of having to fight our way out and we already know Sam can handle herself in a fight a lot better than I can. If we are treated as guests it should be possible for us to keep her safe, if we are not welcomed as guests then we are all in trouble anyway and the fact that she's a woman won't make any difference at all. It really is that simple," I say.

"Yes, well, but the risk would remain in case of capture, wouldn't it?" he points out.

"Actually, sir, even though this time around it was Captain Carter who found herself in a rather unpleasant situation due to her gender, it could just as easily have been any one of us. Besides, in case of capture men may well find themselves in a position that is just as unpleasant as that of women. Human history is not necessarily a friendly place full of quaint, idyllic civilizations and there are very real dangers we all have to face when we travel to other planets, regardless of our gender.

"For instance, slavery has been a legally accepted institution in most human cultures and throughout most of human history. Even here in our own country it was still legal less than 150 years ago," I remind him.

"Thanks for the history lesson, doctor, I'm well aware of that fact, but what does that have to do with Captain Carter's situation?" asks the general, sounding rather frustrated, and I realize that I'm going to have no choice but to pull out the big guns here... I just hope that doing so won't lead to the whole stargate program being shut down in a hurry.

"This is not just about Sam, it's about what we are all bound to find out there, sir," I explain. "The thing is that going by how prevalent slavery's been throughout human history --and by what we know of Goa'uld society-- I think it's safe to assume that running into situations in which slavery is a fact of life is all but unavoidable and that does pose a serious threat to any captured team member. Off-world the Geneva Convention simply does not apply. It is true that, for the most part, we have a considerable technological advantage when compared to most human civilizations we've encountered so far, but even with that edge the fact remains that in most instances an SG team is made up of four individuals who can easily find themselves in a position of having to fight hundreds, or even thousands, of people in an unfamiliar terrain. That is a situation in which they are unlikely to prevail... and that's a risk that's bound to impact every team member, not just the female ones.

"You may be worried about the safety of female team members in case of capture but the fact is that if a male team member were to find himself captured and sold in a society with a different view of homosexuality, his situation wouldn't really be any different or any less dangerous than the one a woman would face... and that's not even a worst case scenario."

"That's not a worst case scenario?" asks the general, looking rather worried, and I decide to move in for the kill.

"No, sir. You also have to keep in mind that the gate was buried thousands of years ago, long before Rome came into power."

"And what the hell do the Romans have to do with any of this?"

"Nothing directly, sir, but our perception of slavery is based mostly on the Roman definition of that institution, or on the one that was prevalent in the South," I explain. "The thing is that slavery has taken on many different forms throughout history and the Roman perspective was not the prevalent one back when the gate was buried. Slavery evolved gradually to reach that point and, even though before that there was some slave trade, it was very limited in scope and most slaves were not born into slavery. The thing is that it was the Romans who first saw their slaves' offspring as valuable commodities that could actually be traded."

"So?"

"So even though back when the gate was buried slave labor was appreciated, when it came to those male slaves that had actually been captured in the battlefield another concern was for the conquerors to get rid of their enemies' bloodlines, to make sure that their enemies' descendants would never become a threat... and at times they took some rather drastic measures to that end."

"What are you getting at, doctor?" he asks.

"I'm getting at the fact that throughout history one very effective way to ensure the benefits of slave labor while eliminating the risks posed by an enemy's descendants was through either castration or emasculation, sir," I explain as I try to prepare myself for the explosion that is sure to follow. I don't have to wait long.

"WHAT!"

"I'm saying that just as women may find themselves being sold and raped, going by human history, castration remains a very real possibility for captured male team members. Are you going to keep your men from going through the gate to keep them safe from those dangers, which are just as real as the ones faced by women, if they were to be captured?" I ask.

"Right now I would be tempted to but you know I can't. Why is this the first time I'm hearing about any of this? My people are out there!" he growls.

"Well, sir, it's never really come up before and the truth is that it's only been in the past twelve hours or so that I've been giving it much thought. Besides there are countless possible scenarios and we don't really know much about what we are going to find on any given planet until we are actually there... and by that time it is usually too late for us to turn back. It would be impossible for us to try to foresee all the different possibilities and this is just one of hundreds of scenarios when it comes to the things that could go wrong on any given mission," I say.

"Yes but, castration? That's a bit more extreme than what we could reasonably have expected, isn't it?" he insists.

"Actually, sir, it's not. Even in terms of our own history that particular practice is nowhere near as distant as we would like to believe, not even in 'civilized' western society. You have to remember that it was only in 1870 that castratism was outlawed in Italy. In addition to that eunuchs were used to guard harems throughout history and they remained a fixture of the Chinese Imperial Court until 1912, where they were deemed to be 'trustworthy advisors to the Emperor' because they could harbor no ambitions when it came to starting their own dynasties. Of course, at least in China --and unlike what was the case in Italy-- toward the end castration was mostly a voluntary procedure. In other words, even though we may be appalled at the thought, and even though the very notion cuts to the core of our deepest fears, the fact remains that castration is a practice that was alive and well until the last couple of centuries both in the east and the west. Considering when the gate was buried, that means that we can't rule out the possibility of encountering it off-world."

"And how can we protect our people?" asks the general, sounding more than a little worried, not that I blame him.

"The truth is that I'm not sure we can, sir," I say, knowing he is not going to like that answer. "That's why I'm only suggesting a manual to deal with a situation similar to the one we encountered in Simarka, rather than something with a wider scope."

"But you think a manual would help?"

"I'm the first one to admit that it won't be a surefire protection in all cases, in fact its uses will be rather limited but hopefully it will help under certain circumstances. The truth is that there are countless 'little things' that can get SG teams in trouble due to cultural differences and it is as a sort of prevention against those incidents that I think a set of common sense guidelines could come in handy. What bothers me the most about the whole Simarka incident is just how preventable the whole thing was. The other scenarios I've mentioned here are just as real, just as likely and just as disturbing, that is true, but they may well be far less preventable."

"Less preventable?"

"Yes, sir. As I said, the Shavadai were not really a hostile society and the whole incident derived from a cultural misunderstanding, one that could and should have been foreseen," I explain. "The other scenarios I've mentioned here derive mostly from situations in which a team has been captured on a hostile planet. Of course even though that means that those situations are less likely to be preventable, at least in those cases the basic course of action is more straightforward. If a team comes under attack it is to try to fight its way out and whether the team is made up of men, women or a combination of both is unlikely to be relevant."

"So in spite of everything, you still feel that the risk of having women assigned to off-world teams is worth taking?" he asks --for the third time-- bringing the conversation back to his primary concern... and still sounding far from convinced.

"As I said, sir, I think it's not only a risk worth taking but also a necessary one. Besides, even if I felt it was too dangerous --which I don't-- I still don't think it should be up to us to make that call... especially not in Sam's case where she has already made it clear that, in spite of everything she's been through, she doesn't want to be reassigned."

"Dr. Fraiser mentioned that it could be harmful for her to have me do anything she could perceive as an attempt to take control of her life," he says.

"Yes, sir, that would be a serious concern right now. In the end it is her life and she should have a say on what happens next. For the time being I think that making sure Sam is alright should be our top priority."

"And would you be willing to work with her and with Dr. Fraiser to make sure that happens?"

"Sir?" I ask, more than a little shocked. I really wasn't expecting that particular question.

"As you know, Dr. Fraiser was here earlier today and she too was pretty adamant that Captain Carter be allowed to remain part of SG-1," he explains, "however she did express some concerns about her well-being, her emotional state and she mentioned that she is not comfortable with the idea that she be allowed to be on her on for the next couple of weeks. She requested that SG-1 be put on stand down for the time being and she basically asked for your help when it comes to the captain's care over the next few days. She says it's far from standard procedure but apparently she has some concerns as to whether or not Dr. MacKenzie would be the best candidate to help the captain deal with the current situation."

"She's not the only one..." I mutter under my breath, before realizing that the general actually heard that one. "Sorry, sir."

"So you concur in that regard?" he asks.

"Yes, sir. I don't really know the man all that well, but Sam has made it clear that she's not particularly comfortable with him. From what I gather she finds him too cold and having her trying to work with someone she doesn't trust wouldn't do anything but add to the stress she's under."

"I'm glad to hear you agree, son, because, to quote Dr. Fraiser, she fully intends to prescribe the captain a friend... and your name did come up during that particular conversation," he says.

"So I'm being prescribed now?" I ask, shaking my head.

"Well, son, apparently the doctor is not too keen on the idea of prescribing her any kind of medication if it can possibly be avoided so she is looking for viable alternatives. It seems like the captain is having some trouble sleeping..."

"She is," I confirm, knowing that there's no point in trying to deny it.

"I see. Well, apparently the good doctor has decided that you would be the ideal candidate to make sure she is actually getting some rest and that things are not getting any worse. Basically she wants you to help her keep an eye on Captain Carter and I want the two of you on the case," he says before going on.

"For the time being I'm going to go along with both of your recommendations not to separate her from SG-1 but I do want to be kept up to date on how she's doing and I want to make sure I won't be jeopardizing the rest of the team by allowing her to remain part of it, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir, but..." I try to interrupt but the general just goes on.

"No 'buts', Dr. Jackson. Let me tell you what we are going to do here. Right now I'm going to call Dr. Fraiser back in and I want the two of you to come to some sort of an agreement on how this situation is going to be handled and I don't mean a general agreement, I mean something that can be described at least as the beginnings of a plan of action. I understand that you can't make any long term predictions, but I do want to know at least how you intend to tackle this situation in the first place. After that I'll talk to Captain Carter and see what she has to say for herself. The thing is that while I understand everything you've said so far, and for the most part I agree with you, you have also made it perfectly clear that you want Captain Carter to remain a member of your team and that may be clouding your judgment. Unfortunately while I can definitely sympathize with that feeling, as the general in charge of this facility, I have to put the safety of other team members first. That means that there is no way I'm going to allow her to go out there unless I am absolutely certain that she can handle it. Do I make myself clear?" he asks, making it abundantly clear that that is most definitely not a question.

"Yes, sir," I say, knowing that this is one of those situations in which things are likely to get worse before they get better.

Author's notes: Hi guys, okay, first of all thanks for your reviews. Also I know this chapter is not the easiest one to read through, after all, it deals with Daniel's anthropological take on 'shock and awe'.

From a personal perspective, I have to say that having to write Turghan's defense was not easy but it was necessary, please don't be too mad about that one.

Another thing I would like to explain here is my take on General Hammond's background. I know in this story he comes across sounding a little clueless at times but the way I see it he is a man who was born in the mid '40 (based on the fact that he was probably in his late twenties in 1969). That means that he joined the military in the '60s. Given the attitudes that were prevalent at the time that would probably mean he comes from a rural and/or fairly conservative background. While I see him as keeping up with the times, there are some preconceived notions from that upbringing that he is likely to have hold on to throughout his life and those are likely to come through at times.

Finally, when did we reach the point that historical references warrant a warning?

Okay, that's it for this week, take care,

Alec