Tomin of Orban
Summary
Tomin is a native of Orban and the son of Kalan, the Orbanians' liaison with the SGC during a cultural exchange program. He was introduced in the episode, 3.05 "Learning Curve".
Character Biography
The Orbanians are an advanced human culture descended from pre-Colombian South America. The SGC and the Orbanians arranged a cultural exchange program in which the Orbanians would teach Carter how to build a naquadah reactor and Daniel and Teal'c would teach the Orbanians about their planet's history and the Goa'uld.
Tomin was assigned to study under Teal'c and learn about the Goa'uld. As an Urrone, he was given special status in the Orbanian society. He learned all he could from Teal'c and Daniel and realized that the information that they had was so very important to their survival that he decided to go to his Averium six months before his twelfth birthday. The Averium was the ceremony in which an Urrone's nanites were removed and distributed to other Orbanians in order to pass on their knowledge. Because the nanites are implanted before natural neuro pathways are established and prevent their development, the Urrone is left mindless after the nanites are removed. The Urrones are honored, however, and their bodies are well taken care of for the rest of their existence.
Tomin's decision was made before he turned twelve so that he could pass the information along and action could be started to prepare for any possible Goa'uld attack. This decision was honored by Kalan and Kalan ultimately received one of the nanites that Tomin carried. When Teal'c and Daniel were missing Tomin and Kalan attempted to replace him with another Urrone named Solen, they insisted on seeing Tomin. Their hearts were broken to see such an intelligent and sweet boy turned into a helpless being by this society. Their reactions threatened to end the exchange program altogether.
Jack had been interacting with Merrin, the girl who was teaching Carter about the naquadah reactor, and he noticed that she was totally focused on the technology. Eventually, SG-1 learned that the Orbanians had no concept of play or teaching as Earthlings have. Their understanding of teaching was through the use of the nanites. They said that the Urrones who had gone through the Averium could not be taught because their systems rejected the nanites. The concept of one-on-one interaction to teach was foreign to them, as was play. When Jack realized that Merrin was destined to be reduced to a mindless child, he decided to show her how to play and have fun so that she would have had some pleasure in her short life. After her nanites were removed in her Averium, she passed on the knowledge of how to play and teach to those who received her nanites. Both Tomin and Merrin showed that they could be taught by Earth's traditional methods, through personal interaction, so the cultural exchange program had a lasting benefit for both worlds.
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--DeeKayP 17:41, 23 Apr 2005 (PDT)