601 Redemption
This week started badly and proceeded to an endless series of failures, real and perceived.
It was three months since Daniel Jackson had "died" and the latest candidate to replace him on SG-1 as it's fourth was Captain Hagman. On a mission to P2X-374 Hagman's inept language skills had them running for their lives to the Stargate. In O'Neill's case, limping in a three-legged race with Hagman, tribesmen and their spears in hot pursuit.
That was nine down and, in O'Neill's estimation, no more to go. They were at it for three months and he was done with the miserable tryouts. How could anyone replace Daniel? How could anyone replace him in their team or in their hearts?
On examining O'Neill's knee Doctor Fraiser scheduled an appointment for the colonel with an Orthopedist. This was to determine if and when a minor operation was necessary to repair the tear. Meanwhile he was advised to keep off his feet and was given a local to dull the pain. She knew if he felt no pain at all he would abuse the fragile joint.
Jonas Quinn was bored. For three months he was left to stew, contemplating his failures.
He failed
to be the one to save his people,
to sacrifice his life,
to face his cowardice.
Daniel Jackson immediately had understood the imminent disaster and took action. Jonas had not. He hesitated while Daniel acted.
In these three months Jonas faced his actions or lack thereof.
He read everything he could get his hands on,
learned of the allies and enemies of the Tauri.
He learned the art of war from Teal'c
and the art of peace from Daniel Jackson's journals.
Jonas was ready to explore the universe but he was deemed unworthy. If he wasn't allowed to go on missions he'd do his best to be of service here at the SGC. And maybe, maybe in time they would view him as someone of value.
Bra'tac brought news of Drey'auc who was gravely ill and near death. He, however, failed to tell Teal'c of Rya'c's pain that had morphed into anger.
The young man was
Distressed over his mother's illness,
Disheartened by the way the Jaffa were forced to live and
Discouraged by the seeming failure of the revolt.
And, too, he was in pain because of his father's abandonment.
Rya'c wondered what did the great warrior Teal'c thought of his son? Did Teal'c value him or was he still the same brainwashed child in his eyes?
Teal'c in turn felt a failure when faced with the plight of his people, the death of his wife and the pain of his son. He had not carved out enough time for his family. He started a revolution that so far has brought nothing but pain and suffering to his people. And yet he must go on, there was no turning back. He was needed. Bra'tac's task was to let Teal'c see his son as a young man, no longer a child, who needed to prove himself. Rya'c needed to be needed.
The day, too, was filled with Russian grievances. To add insult to injury when O'Neill limped into General Hammond's office he was accosted by Colonel Chekov demanding a Russian soldier be placed on SG-1.
Later Chekov was bellowing because he was kept from the X-302.
Later still Chekov heaped on the insults. He blamed O'Neill's utter incompetence for the loss of the Goa'uld Ha'tak. The ship went to good use, it took Apophis and a ship load of Replicators crashing into Delmak. If it hadn't they would have had more problems not a solution. And they wondered why he hated the Russians.
Although it was a minor miracle they escaped with their lives O'Neill did feel guilty he had lost this prize.
Shortly after Bra'tac and Teal'c departed a wormhole was established but no one or seemingly nothing was transmitted. Eventually Sam Carter realized there was a power build up in the Stargate's capacitors. When the Stargate didn't shut down automatically after the 38 minute mark Carter did the math. She calculated they had roughly 72 hours before the Stargate had absorbed so much energy it would explode taking the state of Colorado with it and shortly afterward the planet. O'Neill remarked the Goa'uld had used the ploy of keeping the gate engaged so they couldn't use it and was probably them again.
In order to procure help from their allies O'Neill and Carter were tasked to fly the "finished" but as of yet untested X-302. Before the flight O'Neill visited the infirmary to be topped up. Again only a local anesthetic was applied to his knee, he needed to be clear headed for this mission. And if the mission failed Jack figured it didn't matter. Fraiser didn't find his attitude reassuring.
The hyperspace engines using Naquadria produced an unstable window and the mission ended in failure.
Sam Carter felt like a failure. The X-302 was her baby. No, she didn't design it, but she had input and it was her suggestion to use the powerful element Naquadria to power the hyperspace engines. She had done the calculations as proof of its potency. She hadn't listened to Jonas Quinn about its inherent instability. Now she had to listen to that blowhard McKay referring to her as a dumb blond. After the failure of the mission to communicate with their allies she could see no solution to the upcoming disaster. So she's holed up in her lab avoiding the 'eggheads' as the colonel so elegantly put it. For years everyone looked to her for a path through the knotty problems they faced. This was one she couldn't fathom a solution to. She even asked the Colonel if he saw a simple solution. He took her for some sugar to refuel her.
It entered O'Neill's mind that if they could not easily or successfully repair his knee he might be looking at the end of his career in the front lines. Of course if they couldn't fix the more pressing problem of the potentially exploding Stargate his knee would be the least of his problems.
The last failure of the day was Anubis'. Although the mutant Goa'uld terrified many, the one man on Earth he should fear the most was not impressed with his theatrics.