Some Unending timeline ideas
Speaking of Unending ;) -- yes, I'm currently obsessed, so sue me. Season 10 aired in 2006-2007, does that mean the episodes themselves absolutely must've taken place between the U.S. airdates of 7/14/2006 and 6/22/2007?
I have a slight problem with that theory. I'm pretty sure ep15 Bounty took place in the summer, possibly early to mid-August, because of Vala's skimpy shorts and blouse, plus I bet if they wanted to hold the reunion in the gym they'd probably want to do it when it wasn't being used by the regular high school kids, hence summer. Also judging from the jackets and fall leaves I'd put ep18 Family Ties in the fall, maybe early to mid-October. Extrapolating from that I would guess that the Odyssey left for the Asgard galaxy right after Thanksgiving. The trip is long, possibly 3 or 4 weeks (traveling by ship to Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy takes 3 weeks) and the SGC might not want to make their personnel leave for such an extended trip before the holiday.So basically, do I put all the season 10 eps in 2006 or in 2007? I know what you're asking yourself--has this girl gone completely wonko? ;) Not quite yet. Or maybe season10 is a year and half long instead of a year so it goes from mid-2006 to late 2007? And doesn't it have to jive with SGA season 3? We need time to grow Sam's hair, find the Ark of Truth, and get her to Atlantis all before the end of Atlantis season 3 (because I think the finale feeds/blends right into the premiere of season 4). So maybe that's an argument that SG1:10 all happens in 2006, from maybe January to December, giving the team plenty of time to find the ark in early 2007 so that Sam can join Atlantis in mid 2007.
What other season 10 eps happen on Earth? Uninvited--they're in the woods at Jack's cabin, right? In Minnesota maybe? Cam and Landry were in jackets and sweatshirts, so possibly the tail end of winter/beginning of spring? Maybe mid-March? Memento Mori was on Earth, Vala looked like she was slightly shivering in her short-sleeved blouse when she walked into Sol's Diner. Maybe a cool, early May day? That would work with Bounty being in August, plenty of time between those episodes.
So why am I obsessing over this?
It has to do with this angsty Unending fic I'm writing. See I'm trying to logically figure out a timeframe. We get a few hints and clues: 2 weeks since Sam starts the time dilation field, she tells them that a lot of their escape plans won't work. 3 months since she starts the time dilation field, Daniel and Vala hook up. The montage happens at some point after that... and there's a Christmas scene... however, the montage good be a few months to a few years, there's no way of telling, and the Christmas scene could be a crazy Christmas-in-July thing, or a Christmas-because-we-need-a-party thing, we have no idea, so honestly, there's probably no reason to waste brain power on trying to figure out a timeline... but being a math and science geek, I'm sorta addicted to logic. ;) You know how they make Sudoku books and Crossword puzzle books, sometimes you'll see Variety books with all kinds of puzzles. I love the logic ones the best. ;) But I digress....
Here are some of my ideas for the fic:
It's Christmas (of either 2006 or 2007) when they reach the Asgard home galaxy. It sorta begs the question why Vala didn't just organize a Christmas party instead of a birthday party for Daniel... but maybe that feeds into his mistake that she's just messing with him all the time, i.e. "having a laugh at his expense." The birthday party also begs the question: Daniel's been with the Stargate Program for 10 years, don't these people know when his birthday is? Or did Vala just invite new SGC recruits, people who may not know everyone's birthday yet. Then again, maybe the party guests are just humoring Vala; a party's a good idea and as long as Dr. Jackson plays along, it could be fun.
Secondly, how long does it take for the Asgard to install the core on the Odyssey? One week? Two? And how the hell do three Ori motherships follow the Odyssey all the way from the Milky Way galaxy to the Asgard home galaxy? (Sometimes I wonder if the writers even bother to ask themselves these kinds of questions.) Though Teal'c did suppose that the Ori were able to track the Odyssey because of the Asgard core, so maybe once the Asgard started installing it, the Ori began detecting it (from a galaxy away, I doubt it, but I'm trying to logic it out *bites lip*). So if it takes 3 or 4 weeks (as I surmised) to travel between the Milky Way and the Asgard galaxy, then did it take 3 to 4 weeks to fully install the Asgard core on the Odyssey? If so, I think we're looking at end of January by the time the Ori ships arrive and the Asgard destroy themselves and their planet.
Things move pretty fast in the episode after that. The impression is that the Ori motherships are chasing the Odyssey through hyperspace and that the battles aren't far apart. One suggestion is that the Ori themselves can detect the Odyssey and are "tipping off the priors" who command the motherships, but Jackson says something about "we've passed back into the Milky Way, the Ancients should have a problem with the Ori using their ascended powers..." So, if my assumption that it takes 3 to 4 weeks to cross galaxies, it must be about 2 to 3 weeks to get back into the Milky Way. (mmm chocolate... no, focus, Erin :-P ) Anyhoo, that would put us, maybe mid February when they get into the final battle with the Ori ships and Sam starts the time dilation field.
There's a small montage next, mostly Cam running, Sam working, Cam running, Landry on the bridge looking out, Cam running, Daniel starts learning the Asgard knowledge base, Cam running, Vala and Teal'c inventorying (is that a verb?) supplies in a storeroom--Vala thinks she's hearing voices of Ori soldiers maybe, Teal'c seems to be frustrated with her. :( Then we get to a scene where Sam is telling them all that their various escape plans are not working. She's been running various simulations for 2 weeks, that would put us at late February or early March.
Another short montage next, the ship corridors and hallways are empty (I guess they might be saying Cam's stopped running for a while). Vala restless in bed, could be one night, could be a succession of nights; she shows up at Daniel's door in a nightie and holding handcuffs. At first I wanted this to be suggestive of Valentine's Day, but it really doesn't have to be, it's more likely that Vala really is bored, this is way over the top even for her. ;) Cam and Teal'c are sparring in the gym, Cam's getting quite good, possibly his anger and frustration are helping him beat Teal'c. Carter creates a cello. Daniel shuts down the Asgard computer in his "lab." Next comes THAT scene. Vala tells us it's been 3 months... probably 3 months since Sam created the time dilation bubble, that would make this mid-May.
I'm getting to my point, I promise. *blushes* See, the primary focus of my fic is that Vala is morale officer and plans events such as movie nights, game nights, and birthday and holiday parties. It's widely known (because of a few early SG1episodes) that Daniel's birthday is in July, and again, the Christmas party happens in the montage. I'm sorta using those as points of reference. If Daniel and Vala hook up in mid-May, that gives me a starting point for what kinds of things Vala might plan as morale officer.
I'm not 100% sure she'd throw Daniel the first birthday party, as it might backfire and remind him of the fake one at the beginning of the episode. I've looked on the stargate wikia site and it lists Sam's birthday as Dec. 29, 1968 (how they came up with this I have no idea *shrugs* but I'll go with it.) Landry's is listed as Oct. 6, 1945, Daniel's as July 8, 1965, and Carolyn's as Dec 3, 1974. The site lists Teal'c's year of birth as about 1899, but there's no actual date (I don't even know if there's a fandom consensus about when the team celebrates his birthday). The site doesn't have Cam's birthday either (though they have Landry's and Carolyn's, go figure *eye roll*) but it says he was born in 1970. I think there's a reference in the ep "200" about Cam being born 9 months after the team's "secret" mission to the year 1969, and Jack being his dad. They probably were joking with him but if we go with it, his birth month would have to be in one of the first 9 months of 1970. At first I was thinking August because looking at the birthdates and holidays, there really doesn't seem to be anything in August or September that Vala could use for a party...so yeah, since there isn't an "official" date, I'm gonna make his birthday late August. ;)
As for the first team birthday party, if I don't want it to be Daniel, I think I'm gonna make Teal'c's birthday in June. The only possible logical reason is Teal'c might have picked that month on his own when he started living on Earth -- having no way to mathematically calculate, though possibly Sam tried ;) -- maybe because June is usually a nice weather month. Warm days at the end of spring, just before it gets really hot in the summer. And it also doesn't conflict with other major holidays, I don't think. Vala doesn't even have a birth year on the stargate wikia site, let alone a month and day. I'm gonna hafta really get creative with that.
So yeah, about 3 weeks after THAT scene and the D/V hookup, Vala throws Teal'c a birthday party. It's actually pretty simple. Sam helps her replicate all the necessary bits for a Star Wars movie marathon; popcorn, soda, beer, nachos, hot dogs, birthday cake. I think I'll have her recruit Cam into converting one of the personnel quarters into the movie theater... unless, do you think the Odyssey already has one? ...Nah. *shakes head* Maybe Landry helps her replicate comfy reclining chairs and sofas with cup holders and footrests, and a projector screen and the film and everything (or maybe it's digital on an HD/LCD--ABCDEFG. *rolls eyes again* I never understand any of that stuff. LOL And Daniel... um, he either helps with the food, or just promises not to work that day. :-P I know, he's on the decorating committee, maybe, possibly...or not. Maybe that's stupid... Anyhoo, on the big day Sam keeps an eye on Teal'c while everyone else is setting everything up. It's a touching moment when the two of them arrive in the theater, the Star Wars theme song playing in the background, all his friends there to celebrate with him. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I get the feeling that even being on Earth for 10 years, he probably still feels more than a little alienated from everyone, still kind of an outsider.
Daniel's birthday is next, not sure if Vala will throw a party, or just have a special dinner made. Maybe just something for the two of them...I dunno yet.
Unending in a nutshell from the time Sam puts the ship in the time dilation field:
# cam running through hallways; teal’c and vala rationing stores; daniel starts studying asgard knowledge base
2 weeks: sam runs simulations, no plans will work, she needs more time to figure it out
# empty hallways, vala can’t sleep, tries to entice daniel, cam and teal’c sparring, cam’s anger/frustration helps him sorta win
3 months: “the” scene
# cam and landry in landry’s room “F-302s” & just two plants
# vala and sam “I want to help”; cam and teal’c still sparring; vala and sam spit-balling ideas plus cello;
# cam and others at dinner “Superman” conversation
montage
# sam and cello
# landry and garden
cam running, vala rollerskating past him
daniel joke, others laughing
cam in 302
sam replicating tretonin for teal’c
landry looking out window
xmas, cam mistletoe-kissing sam, then vala
vala opening present on daniel’s lap
sam working, thor not helping
cam and landry playing chess “this isn’t flying, this is the love boat without the buffet or the band”
daniel comforting a crying vala
cam meltdown in bedroom
more subdued meal
sam working, thor not helping, she turns him off
landry looking out window
ori laser gets closer - cello music
much older landry looking out window
daniel and vala waking up “twenty years today”
cam and landry playing chess
daniel and sam “I’ve given up”
landry dies, sam hugs teal’c
mess hall, all sad
ori laser gets closer; now cam looking out window
dinner, cam “fifty years”
sam tells them how she figured it out
teal’c saves them all
vala and teal’c in teal’c’s quarters, “i must have hooked up with someone”
gateroom, ‘asgard’ words of wisdom