Repository of Knowledge

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O'Neill held by Repository in the Place of Our Legacy

Summary

The Repository of Knowledge is an Ancient device that downloads the legacy of the Ancients into an individual.

Technical Specifications

The Repository is a disc shaped device a few feet in diameter imbedded into a wall with the center opening at approximate eye level for adult humans (2.16 "The Fifth Race"). It is usually cloaked within the wall until something activates it. Once active, several pastel lights can be seen through the orifice. When an appropriate individual is detected in the vicinity, the Repository reaches out, grabs the subject's head, and proceeds to download its contents directly into the person's brain.

The knowledge is processed gradually, but still can quickly overwhelm human physiology, killing a person after several days. The knowledge listed is everything involving the Ancients, specifications for how their technology works, history, language, even physiological changes, such as the Ancients' extrasensory abilities, like healing touch or telekinesis (7.22 "Lost City Part 2, 10.11 "Quest Part 2"). The download is so overwhelming it can even write over existing knowledge. Both times O'Neill has been subjected to the device, his language centers have been rewritten so that at first verbally, and eventually in writing, he lost the ability to communicate in English, and was only able to respond in the Ancient language (2.16 "The Fifth Race", 7.22 "Lost City Part 2").

Not much is known about specifically how the Repository works. The Asgard discovered one and tried to recover the information from it using their own technology, and after centuries, they had only been able to recover a fraction of the knowledge it held (8.02 "New Order Part 2"), so the capacity of knowledge a Repository holds is massive. The SGC tried to study the first device they recovered, but the power was depleted after the first download (7.21 "Lost City Part 1").

The device is designed to work directly with an individual's brain. It is unclear if someone with the Ancient gene is required. Jack O'Neill, who does have this gene has experienced it twice. It did not activate for Teal'c, whether that was because it was still powering up or because he was Jaffa was never explicit (2.16 "The Fifth Race"). Daniel Jackson was physically prevented from getting close enough to a device by Jack, but later was able to interact and use a similar, though not identical device that was manipulated by an Ancient, Merlin, before he was exposed (7.21 "Lost City Part 1", 10.11 "The Quest Part 2", respectively). Based on the Asgard trying to use technology to get information, it appears Asgard physiology is not compatible to use it.

Merlin's lab contained a modified version of the Repository (10.11 "The Quest Part 2"). It did not "grab" a person's head, and also had hand controls that also protruded from a wall. Merlin's Repository was also more interactive. It not only sent information, it also received it, and worked with other Ancient technology to virtually and physically create new matter, such as components of the Sangreal. Daniel Jackson described it as a computer design modulator. According to Daniel Jackson's theory of Merlin's device, it could be/was modified so that it did not make a complete "download dump" that would overwhelm an individual. In fact, Merlin programmed a deadman's switch so that the download would cease rewiring the designee's brain, and his DNA would revert back to its previous state after a certain amount of time (10.14 "The Shroud").

Stargate References

SG-1 first encountered a Repository of Knowledge on P3R-272, called the "Place of Our Legacy" (2.16 "The Fifth Race"). The Repository was housed in a chamber with no egress except for the Stargate. It only appeared when someone (possibly with the Ancient gene) walked over the Ancient writing engraved on the floor. Once activated, Teal'c peered into the device but nothing happened. O'Neill was next to look, and was "grabbed" by the Repository, collapsing immediately after the device released him and appearing to be in a catatonic state.

O'Neill claimed to be fine after he regained alertness back at the SGC, but everyone started noticing he was sometimes replacing common words with a strange language, unaware he was no longer speaking English. He was able to read the unknown language from the Place of Our Legacy and Heliopolis in its native tongue, giving Daniel Jackson the language clues needed to recognize the words as a derivation of medieval Latin and the building blocks to translate the language--including the fact that the aliens were called the "Ancients".

Aside from the language, Jack also downloaded a large group of new Stargate addresses, leading to the correct theory that the Ancients were the Gate builders. When half his team and two other SG members were trapped on P9Q-281 because of a faulty DHD, Jack was able to write schematics to let them repair it and come home before dying in unbearable heat. Subconsciously, Jack knew he needed help and that only the Asgard could help him; he created an Ancient device to augment power to the Stargate, enabling it to have enough energy to go to another galaxy. He travelled alone to Othala in the Ida Galaxy, where the Asgard removed the Ancient knowledge from his head.

Teams later tried to study the Repository of Knowledge at the Place of our Legacy, but the power source was depleted, and nothing could be done (7.21 "Lost City Part 1").

Years later, SG-1 received information about a second repository on P3X-439 (7.21 "Lost City Part 1"). They travelled there hoping to retrieve the information, especially regarding the Lost City of the Ancients, without doing a direct download, but Anubis's arrival gave them no time. Jack O'Neill once again subjected himself to the device. SG-1 then destroyed the device with C-4 explosives to not allow it to fall into Anubis's hands.

After the download, O'Neill again spoke in Ancient, modified a tel'tak to allow it to cross the galaxy with extraordinary speed, and had the knowledge to work technology in the Ancient outposts (7.22 "Lost City Part 2"). He also gave them a new Stargate address, Praclarush Taonas. The team went there, where Jack retrieved a charged ZPM. He led the team back to Earth in the super tel'tak. His knowledge helped in modify the ring system to burrow through miles of ice to the Ancient outpost there, and he defeated Anubis using the outpost defenses. Knowing he was running out of time, he gave his teammates enough clues to indicate they should put him in a stasis chamber in the Antarctic outpost, where he could remain until they had the ability to revive and help him.

Months later, the Asgard received Earth's call to help O'Neill after Carter and Teal'c travelled to Hala in the superpowered tel'tak (8.01 "New Order Part 1"). The Asgard too needed the knowledge in O'Neill's brain to come up with a way to defeat their enemy, the Replicators (8.02 "New Order Part 2"). Thor partially revived the colonel, allowing him to interface with the computer of his ship, The Daniel Jackson. O'Neill showed himself using the Asgard holographic technology, and used the Asgard computers to create the disruptor weapon. Thor revived him and removed the Ancient knowledge when his vital signs became critical. O'Neill awoke with no memories of anything that happened since P3X-439, though Thor explained the memories would return in time. Once again without the Ancient knowledge, they only guessed at what the disruptor could do, but when they discovered its potential, Thor was able to modify it to work as a weapon of mass destruction, killing replicators, but harming no organic creatures.

Another "Repository-style" device was located in Merlin's lab on an unknown planet (10.11 "The Quest Part 2"). SG-1, with Ba'al, were beamed to the lab after passing tests to find the Sangreal. When Vala passed by the Repository, she activated the device, which triggered release of a stasis chamber holding Merlin himself. The revived Merlin activated hand devices connected to the Repository. Too weakened to reinvent the Sangreal himself, he uploaded his own memories into the device. Daniel Jackson, realizing what he had done, began to interact with the device, downloading Merlin's memories and knowledge, and losing consciousness for a short time. He continued to expose himself to the Repository so he could use its interactive computer to create the components of the Sangreal, like an advanced computer design program. Each time he left the device, Daniel's thoughts became more muddled, confusing Merlin's memories and his own. Daniel theorized it was not a complete download as what happened to O'Neill. Despite Daniel's theories that Merlin limited the exposure, Daniel experienced some Ancient powers, such as telekinesis, the ability to influence weather patterns--including sending directed lightning strikes on Ori soldiers, and finally to counter Adria's own energy blasts. His exposure to the device left him very weakened and with a large headache.

In truth, Merlin stored his consciousness to be downloaded into Daniel's mind (10.14 "The Shroud"). Merlin also created a deadman switch so that his consciousness and knowledge eventually would be wiped from Daniel's mind, and Dr. Jackson would genetically revert to how he was before interfacing with the machine. This also meant that Adria's conversion of Daniel to a Prior would be short term since the genetic reversion would affect her manipulations as well.

When Adria found Merlin's cave, Adria took Merlin's interface with her (10.14 "The Shroud"). On the Ori Warship, a captive Daniel Jackson continued to use the device to create the anti-ascended weapon. He used the repository machine to create the parts to the weapon, but it still needed to be assembled. For these last steps, the machine did not need to be used.

Gallery

O'Neill and Repository on P3X-439
Daniel using Merlin's repository
Merlin's Interactive Design Assist (Daniel interfacing in background)

Episodes

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--Aurora 22:20, 23 January 2007 (PST)

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