The exchange between earth and Orban was only supposed to be a trade of information and technology. After all, the SGC isn’t authorised to interfere with alien cultures, even if they sometimes do, usually as a side-effect of their presence on another world. People are bound to be curious, it’s a human trait, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

But at the same time, kids should get to be kids, and all of those O’Neill and the rest of SG-1 have met on Orban have been so… serious. The Urrone, apprentices as Daniel calls them, are dedicated to learning all they can in their field of study, to benefit the rest of their people, which is a noble endeavour. But they never smile, or laugh, and Merrin doesn’t even know how to play. It bothers O’Neill.

It bothers him even more when he sees what becomes of former Urrone, after their nanites have been harvested. There’s nothing left of who they were before, they’re little more than vegetables, and there’s no way in hell he’s going to send Merrin back to that. He likes the kid, she’s smart, she deserves better than to be basically discarded as being of no further use once she’s had her brains sucked out.

So he… borrows her for a bit. It’s for her own good, so she can see how much better her life could be if she stayed on earth.

There aren’t any schools on Orban, the people get all their knowledge from the nanites that are harvested from the Urrone and injected into whoever needs them. But going to school, if only for an afternoon, proves more valuable to Merrin and her people than O’Neill could have imagined, because she takes that knowledge back with her as well to share with her people. Knowledge of schools, games, drawing and painting for fun. Knowledge of a different way of learning, a way that will give all former Urrone a chance to live full and happy lives.

O’Neill broke the rules, and will probably be punished accordingly, but he made the right choice.


The End