I was going to wait to use this short story until I actually got to the anthology itself, but since we’ve already met Alabaster and both Torren and Darling have met, there’s no reason to wait.
Torren John is, of course, Teyla’s son and in the short story ‘A Blade of Atlantis’ we get to see him as an adult and part of his own SG team.
Time travel is awesome isn’t it?
This story is set during ‘The Siege: Part 2’ (before Sheppard and Todd escape Kolya so WAY before Radek would know about being friends with the Wraith) and follows Radek as he tries to make it to the command chair to get it turned on and ready to go. Unfortunately, he’s cut off when Wraith attack and leave his guards unconscious.
He is not, however, alone!
A small group (consisting of two Athosians and two scientists) find him and say they’ll help him get to the chair.
Radek isn’t convinced they’re friendlies because he doesn’t recognize the scientist and her accent isn’t right for an SG team.
After he tells them in no uncertain terms that he isn’t fooled, they tell him the truth.
Jinto is there, all grown up too, and Torren John goes by T.J. on the team. Apparently, Carter sends them back in time in a modified puddlejumper to save the day.
What’s funny about this story is that both Jinto and T.J. (the other two forget as well but it’s funnier with our babies because we’ve met them and know who they are) keep forgetting themselves and tell Radek several things that make us wish they’d continued the series (TV or book, I’m not too picky).
First, they let slip that Carter becomes a General. We never doubted this would happen but it’s nice to have confirmation.
Another thing is that Torren has a younger sister named Frances Tegan. We know that Tegan is Teyla’s father and Frances is Sheppard’s mother’ name. So we know exactly whose child she is. Which means that (as far as I am concerned) Teyla and Sheppard canonically have at least one child together (happy squee sound inserted!).
They almost tell Radek about the Wraith being made by the Alterans, but Jinto stops himself in time and we know that Rodney is alive in the future too because they tell Radek he isn’t dead. While carefully not telling him about the whole being turned into a Wraith thing.
The last thing Radek finds out about is that T.J. is essentially part Wraith himself. Considering both his parents have the gene and Michael did get some experimenting done on Teyla while she was his prisoner it’s not surprising. His gifts are all Osprey and he uses it to defeat a Wraith from the line of Night when they’re discovered.
He doesn’t like to kill, though I don’t know if he means at all or specifically Wraith, but it leads to some interesting questions, especially since he and Darling hit it off as children. I like to think the two are still friends and with their parents and families have made Atlantis a great home.
Before I let ya’ll go this week, something to consider.
In the last couple of pages, the future SGA team and Radek make it to the command chair room and talk a bit. Not anything too major, just that they have a mission that’s completed now. Unfortunately, Rodney is in a bathroom and comes out to hear the very last part and sees the team. Radek does his best to keep his attention because Rodney would recognize that the scientist wasn’t one of theirs and would ask too many questions.
Thing is, as much as Radek believes he was successful, I kind of feel like Rodney processed everything and kept it ‘on file’, as it were. When Jinto starts growing and Torren comes around, I think a conversation happens between Radek and Rodney that stays between the two of them until the time is right.
Something fun to consider.
See ya!
The Dark Library 