Young Jack
Summary
The Asgard renegade scientist Loki kidnapped Colonel Jack O'Neill and replaced him with a clone. But, because of a DNA marker, the clone stopped aging at around 15 years old.
Character Biography
The Asgard Loki kidnapped humans from Earth and conducted unsanctioned experiments on the them for a week while leaving a clone containing all the memories and personalities of the real person on Earth (7.03 "Fragile Balance"). Therefore, his abductions went undetected by others. He had not visited Earth for some time, but returned after learning of O'Neill's Ancient gene. He abducted O'Neill and left a clone in his place. Unbeknownst to Loki, the Asgard had placed a marker within Jack O'Neill's DNA to prevent any kind of manipulation. The clone that was sent to Earth had the memories and personality of Jack O'Neill, but its physical development ended up taking the form of a teenage boy, approximately fifteen years of age.
As far as "Jack" knew, he fell asleep after eating a burrito and watching some tv, and woke up looking like a teenage boy. He struggled into clothes that now were too big for him and headed to Cheyenne Mountain to get some answers. The guards at the entrance stopped him and arrested him for impersonating an officer–namely, himself. He demanded to speak to General Hammond and his team. When they arrived, he eventually convinced them he was Jack O'Neill by the personal and classified information he knew about each of them. Medical tests conducted by Dr. Janet Fraiser confirmed that except for a minuscule anomaly, the teenage boy was Jack O'Neill.
SG-1 returned to Jack's house to try and find some evidence of what may have caused Jack to regress so many years. While there, the teenager had a flashback of the Asgard, and believed he had been abducted. Calls to Thor went unanswered, but Jacob Carter/Selmak of the Tok'ra arrived to see if he could help reverse Jack's condition. The teenager struggled with the more patronizing attitude of his teammates and others, insisting on running a scheduled briefing on the F-302 with new pilots. Meanwhile, Jacob became concerned that Jack's condition would kill him. He offered the choices of a stasis chamber or receiving a symbiote. Already having one bad experience with a symbiote from his time joined with Kanan, the teenage Jack balked at that alternative. He asked for time to consider the stasis chamber. While they left him alone, the teenager used his intimate knowledge of the SGC to make an escape.
Meanwhile Jacob and Janet continued to study the teenager's medical tests and noticed the "minuscule anomaly" had become more pronounced. They realized the teenager was not Jack O'Neill at all, but a clone. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c had done further investigation and had discovered the Asgard's abductions similar to O'Neill's had a seven day window. Still concerned at recovering the clone, the team's priority was now to find and rescue the "real" Jack O'Neill. A tip from one of Jack's former colleagues, Lt. Col. Beck, led them to Jack. The teenager had attempted to get Beck to buy him beer before retreating to a fishing hole. SG-1 found the teenager and explained what had happened.
The teenage clone was anxious to stop the Asgard and get Jack back, but was understandably concerned about his own future. He was shocked and hurt that the team was only concerned at getting back "the real Jack". Still, he insisted on being part of the mission, and rightly pointed out that he was their best chance at finding and stopping the Asgard who caused this. Armed with a zat, the clone waited in Jack's bed for the Asgard to beam him away, the rest of SG-1 staked out just outside.
The ruse worked. The clone was beamed away and a disoriented and disgruntled Jack O'Neill left in his place. The clone zatted Loki and restrained him, then beamed SG-1 aboard the Asgard craft. Thor finally responded to their hails and explained what must have happened, including how Jack's DNA was protected from manipulation. Thor and Loki also explained that the clone's fate was to exist for only that short time frame. Jack O'Neill interceded on his clone's behalf and asked Thor if it would be possible to save the clone. Surprised by the request, Thor complied and the teenage Jack O'Neill's condition was stabilized.
The teenager enrolled in a high school; the Air Force set him up with a proper cover story and financial means. Jack dropped his clone off at the school, questioning if this was what the youth wanted, since Jack would never dream of wanting to relive high school again. The clone noted that here was where the two Jack O'Neills differed, because he was excited at the opportunity. Both agreed further contact with each other would be weird, and at that, they parted ways.
Episodes
Related Characters
- Jack O'Neill
- Dr. Daniel Jackson
- Teal'c
- Gen. George Hammond
- Dr. Janet Fraiser
- Lt. Col. Harlan Beck
- Jacob Carter/Selmak
- Kanan
- Loki
- Thor
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--Aurora 10:35, 12 May 2006 (PDT)