Bedrosia / Optrica (P2X-416)

P2X-416 Stargate

Summary

P2X-416 is a planet with two warring continents, Bedrosia and Optrica. The Optricans believed an alien transported humans here through a Gateway on the Bedrosian continent. The Bedrosians believed their god, Nefertum, created them on the continent of Bedrosia. The Stargate itself was on the continent of Bedrosia.

Factoids

• Names and Designations: P2X-416 Bedrosia/Optrica
• Number of Suns: At least one
• Number of Moons: Unknown
• Source of Address: Abydos Cartouche
• Introduced in Episode: 3.19 "New Ground"
• Earth Cultural/Technological Equivalent: Roughly some decades more advanced than present day Earth
• Main Interest: Exploration
• Influenced/Dominated by: Abandoned by Goa'uld Nefertum
• History of Stargate: Buried 2,000 years ago during a time of several earthquakes and volcanic eruptions known as the "Upheaval", the Stargate was only recently uncovered by an archeological expedition looking for signs of an early Bedrosian settlement.

Stargate Glyphs

Unknown

Geopolitical Structure and History

Millenia ago, the Goa'uld Nefertum brought a group of human slaves to P2X-416. These slaves worshipped Nefertum as a god. Approximately 2,000 years ago, there was geologic instability on the planet. Called the "Upheaval" by modern Bedrosians, the area around the Stargate was affected by the numerous earthquakes and volcanic activity. The Stargate itself was buried. Nefertum never returned to the planet by ship, and the human population remained there, abandoned by the Goa'uld.

In the centuries that followed, the human population existed on two separate continents, Bedrosia, and Optrica. Eventually, these two continents ended up at war. According to Nyan, the basis of the war stemmed from their differing religious beliefs. Since the two continents have been at war for decades with no clear victor, it is likely they both have similar technological levels.

Dr. Daniel Jackson initially conjectured the culture was on a similar level to Earth's based upon the tailoring of the clothes. However, the population was actually had more advanced technology than the SGC. Their shuttlecrafts had energy weapons and emitted forcefields which retracted, leaving the recipients unconscious. Prisoner cages were electrified with no obvious power source, and the military had weapons which could control the cage doors, stun a person into unconsciousness, be set to cause pain, or to kill. The weapon also had a feature to switch from being short range to long range. Though unfamiliar with Earth technology, such as the radios and MALP, the Bedrosians at least did not appear amazed at its existence. Nyan's first introduction to Daniel Jackson through radio contact in the MALP made him believe the MALP was a mechanical life form. Rigar figured out how to use a zat and the radio very quickly. They also had very advanced medical technology, such as the device Nyan used to heal Teal'c's blindness from a Bedrosian weapon.

The area near the Stargate was rocky and wooded terrain. Caves existed in the hills. The Stargate itself had been buried during the Upheaval and had only recently been uncovered by Nyan and Merrin's archeological expedition. It is undetermined what the geological conditions on the rest of the planet looked like. The front lines of the war between the Bedrosians and Optricans were very far from the location of the Stargate.

Bedrosia

Bedrosia had a central registry where everyone's DNA was apparently part of a database that could be used for identification. Optricans were obviously not part of the registry. There was a two percent differential between the blood tests of SG-1 and the standard Bedrosian results, indicating they were human, but not from Bedrosia.

The Bedrosians followed the Book of Nefertum, believing Nefertum to be a god who created them on the continent of Bedrosia. Even some scientific pursuits went forward to prove this theology. Although fighting a war, not everyone was drafted into the military. Some individuals, such as Nyan, continued in civilian pursuits, such as archeology. The military had both male and female members.

When SG-1 arrived on the planet, Nyan, as a scientist, was just as excited to discover proof that his hypothesis was wrong. He wished to introduce Teal'c to the scientific community at the Bedrosian research academy. Nyan believed they would be more accepting of the truth of the Gateway. When Teal'c refused to be Nyan's "evidence", the Bedrosian agreed to help the Jaffa rescue the rest of SG-1.

Col. O'Neill, Maj. Carter, and Dr. Jackson had been captured by the Bedrosian version of a National Guard. Not front-line troops, they guarded the interior of the continent with zealousness. In a short amount of time, the military team erected a temporary headquarters and quarantine field around the Stargate. Only a shuttle craft would be able to pass through the quarantine field.

Their commander was a man named Rigar, who walked with a visible limp. Rigar steadfastly believed the appearance of SG-1 was a new type of Optrican psychological warfare to undermine the Bedrosian belief system. He was determined to get them to confess the "truth", and to disclose the fourth member of their team, who had fired on their shuttle. Rigar was not above using physical torture in interrogating the team members. He informed his second in command, Parey, that once they had learned all they could, they would destroy all evidence of this Optrican ruse, including the Stargate and the captured team members.

The Stargate appeared to be some distance from their civilization. The Bedrosian military needed airborne transport shuttles to reach the location, and ordered one to move the captured members of SG-1 to a more secure facility after they witnessed General Hammond try and contact the team via radios and the MALP.

Optrica

SG-1 never visited the continent of Optrica, nor any inhabitants of that area of the planet. All that is known was gleaned from conversations with the Bedrosians.

According to Nyan, the Optricans believed that humans were brought to this planet by aliens that traveled through a gateway. But during the upheaval the gateway was buried and things could no longer come through. They also believed that this "gateway" was on Bedrosian soil. Nyan explained to SG-1 that the Bedrosians believed that they were created on this continent, and the Optricans believe their holy gateway is on this continent. Therefore the two people had been at war for decades.

Rigar believed SG-1 and the Stargate were a new form of psychological warfare to sow dissension among Bedrosians. He did not seem surprised at the level of technology used to enact such an illusion, but it is unclear if it was his zealous belief in the Bedrosian theology that guided his interpretation, or experience with Optrican technology. Other people in his command, including his second, Pyner, expressed concern that perhaps the Stargate was the gateway the Optricans had always believed existed.

As SG-1 tried to explain to the Bedrosians they met with mixed success, the Optricans were right.

Gallery

SG-1 trapped by Bedrosian forcefield

SG-1 in electrified cages

Daniel at DHD; Temporary military buildings in background

Episodes

• 3.19 "New Ground"

Related Characters

• Col. Jack O'Neill
• Dr. Daniel Jackson
• Maj. Samantha Carter
• Maj. Gen. George Hammond
• Teal'c
• Nyan
• Mallin
• Nefertum
• Parey
• Rigar

Related Articles

• Archaeology
• Bedrosians
• Goa'uld
• MALP
• SG-1
• Stargate
• Stargate Command (SGC)
• Zat

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–Aurora 16:50, 15 January 2006 (PST)