So far as we know, Daniel's and Jack's lives were the same right up until the point the Stargate program contacted them, but what's the deal with Sam?

Why was Sam in the AU with long hair not in the military, and Daniel in Africa? Choices.

Also, this is *present day* AU, not eight years ago+ AU. Daniel's life wasn't influenced by Catherine Langford. Maybe Sam's dad died at an early age.

The handy thing about the ripple effect theory is that one change in the past can send out ripples that echo and cross each other out like pebbles in a pond.

And funny -- why do these people care what Daniel said on the tape? Because without the Stargate they never went to Abydos and killed Ra and pissed off Apophis. Earth isn't in any danger in this reality.

Well, yes. I have to assume that the historical context was somewhat... lacking, on the tape SG-1 made. And hey, you tell the Air Force that they can go to other planets and find cool technology that they can blow people up with? I can imagine them getting on board. (Going back in time to Fix The Future, not so much, but Daniel at least apparently thinks it'd be just fine to do that in order to get him a better job.)

I agree AT was OTT, but I found dork!Sam cute, so I handwaved a lot.

As to their motivations--well, they live in the world in which fucking Kinsey is the president. Uncertain future at an alien planet or being stuck 5000 in the past probably didn't sound so bad.

On the Aquarium front--OMG, Sheppard was so hot in that black pullover number. And Grodin! Wahhh! McKay/Zelenka! Intersting Teyla/Bates conflict! But mostly... Sheppard was smoking in this episode.

FCM with the SGA crew?

F Sheppard
C Kavanagh (ewww)
M Zelenka

I love Rodney, but he'd never shut up enough for a proper shag.

Oh, I do like Zelenka. I think it was the Czech message that put me over the edge. And "you are the loop". He's quite marvelous.

And hey, you tell the Air Force that they can go to other planets and find cool technology that they can blow people up with? I can imagine them getting on board. (Going back in time to Fix The Future, not so much, but Daniel at least apparently thinks it'd be just fine to do that in order to get him a better job.)

See, now, I'm not sure where George is going with this. Daniel-on-the-tape is all, "come back and fix the timeline," but as far as I can tell, these AU people are pretty happy. Sure, Kinsey's president, but they haven't had any Goa'uld attacks, and the Replicators are still stuck off in that other galaxy.

I don't see any incentive for a trip back in time. They've got to realize that, uninformed as they are, they're more likely to fuck things up than make them better. If I were them, I'd just be looking forward.

In which case, it's irrelevant that in what to them is an AU, Daniel and Sam were on SG-1. Here they're poorly trained civilians around 40 years old, and Jack's been out of the military for 9. And when Jack left the USAF, he was probably pretty frelling unstable and definitely suicidal. Can't say they'd want to bring him back anytime soon.

So those are all the reasons they shouldn't put Our Team on a team. But they will, otherwise there's no Part 2.

t waiting patiently for trapped-in-Egypt OT4 fic

They've got to realize that, uninformed as they are, they're more likely to fuck things up than make them better.

Maybe SG1 realised that when they made the tape, and were selective. I think the proposition can be made very enticing without revealing that it's all Daniel's fault.

Or Sam's, or Jack's -- you know. Not only do they want their future back, they're pretty much convinced life sucks more for the humans offworld (and the Asgard) if Tauri doesn't get a gate.

they're pretty much convinced life sucks more for the humans offworld (and the Asgard) if Tauri doesn't get a gate.

Good point. I was being parochial, but if the decision's being made by AU!Hammond, he's not going to take that into consideration, regardless of what the original Sam, Jack, and Daniel say.

Why was Sam in the AU with long hair not in the military, and Daniel in Africa? Choices.

Yes, but that was an AU -- this is... well, okay, obviously it is, but differently. It seems to me that what they showed us really (and intentionally) was... well not eight years ago, but 1929 + AU. Daniel's life wasn't influenced by Catherine Langford, but was unchanged up to that point. Kinsey still got into politics, Hammond still became an Air Force General. But I see no reason that the Stargate's absence from the Giza dig should have changed Sam's life to such an extent. I'm not saying it couldn't have. See below.

The handy thing about the ripple effect theory is that one change in the past can send out ripples that echo and cross each other out like pebbles in a pond.

This is a fine explanation for why the Stargate not being found could have affected Sam's entering the AF. But not, I think, for why other changes made 5000 years in the past could. The ripple effect, as a metaphor, would seem to dictate that the ripples, once they reach a shore so far away, would be broad. Maybe shallow, but broad.

Okay, I totally know I'm overthinking this. If pressed, I could come up with several possible explanations. I just wish they'd given one in passing, because it made me wonder. I'm totally good with handwaving most times, but... but... okay, I have no idea. I guess I just find time-travel stories like intricate puzzles, and I get irritated when there's a piece that doesn't go anywhere.

Brighid got the Starburst editions of the Farscape dvds. This is her response. t happy sigh

On thinking about Emily's issue: I suppose I agree with you, Emily, in that they really didn't think about what the likely repurcussions would be, and what Sam would be like without the Stargate.

It's more likely that without the Stargate Sam would be a bitter, frustrated, angry woman stuck in the Pentagon -- or, more interesting, she'd have left the military entirely and gone into private industry, where she'd be working for Alex Coulsen and making millions on patents. On the down side, she wouldn't have gotten to be a soldier in the field and would probably have a pretty bad attitude about the military. And wouldn't have reconciled with her dad, who would have died four years ago.

Just a theory.

It's more likely that without the Stargate Sam would be a bitter, frustrated, angry woman stuck in the Pentagon -- or, more interesting, she'd have left the military entirely and gone into private industry, where she'd be working for Alex Coulsen and making millions on patents. On the down side, she wouldn't have gotten to be a soldier in the field and would probably have a pretty bad attitude about the military. And wouldn't have reconciled with her dad, who would have died four years ago.

Yeah, I think either of those options would've made more sense and would've meant more to me than the version we got. Oh well.

(Six years! Six!)