Tau'ri - SCIFIPEDIA

Tau'ri

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

The Tau'ri are the people of Earth in the scifi TV series Stargate SG-1. Tau'ri, literally translated, means the first ones or those of the first world.

According to Jaffa legend, the Tau'ri were the only human life in this galaxy thousands of years ago. When Ra visited Earth at that time, he realized that the Tau'ri would make good hosts for his species, the Goa'uld. Ra and other Goa'uld took humans through the Stargate and used them as slaves. They genetically modified some to become Jaffa, while others were used as Gou'ald hosts. After the uprising in Egypt five thousand years ago, the Stargate was buried, and the location of the planet became forgotten. In the episode "The Enemy Within," Teal'c explained the myth, and Colonel Kennedy realized that Earth must be the planet of the Tau'ri.

1 History
2 Politics
3 Allies
4 Atlantis Expedition
5 Military
6 Technology

History

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

Several million years ago, the Ancients reseeded life on Earth after a plague wiped out most human life in the galaxy. This life evolved into humans, the second evolution of the Ancients.

10,000 years ago, the alien Ra, member of the dying race, the Goa'uld, came across Earth and primitive humans for the first time in ancient Egypt. He took a young boy as his host and took on the persona of the local god Ra. The people worshipped him and he used them to build the pyramids at Giza as landing pads for his ship. He also took humans to Abydos as slaves to mine naquadah. Several other Goa'uld came to Earth and took human hosts, and also took on the persona of gods. They spread humans across the galaxy.

The Ancients also returned to Earth from Atlantis around this time, and the story of the lost city became legend. Some of them stayed on Earth and passed on their genes, and influenced human history and culture. The Ancients are known to have affected British and Roman cultures.

5,000 years ago, humans rebelled against Ra. It is possible they had help from aliens, including Omaroka and the Giant Aliens. Ra was defeated and exiled from Earth, and the Stargate was buried and forgotten. Earth was largely forgotten by the Goa'uld, but it is believed that some, including Sokar, still visited and took humans through the Antarctic Stargate, thereby spreading Norse and Medieval culture to other planets. The Norse peoples who left Earth came to know it as Midgard simmilar to the Asgard.

In 1928, the Stargate was rediscovered at Giza and moved to the United States. The DHD had been previously removed by the Germans. The Russians later gained control of the DHD.

In the 1990s, with significant input from Dr. Samantha Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson, the secret of the Stargate was discovered, and the Tau'ri rediscovered interstellar travel through the Stargate. At this point, they believed the Stargate only went to Abydos. A year after the first mission to Abydos, aliens came through the gate and attacked Stargate Command. The SGC was reopened and exploration of other planets began.

Over the following ten years, the SGC explored hundreds of planets and engaged in many battles against the Goa'uld. They also made enemies and discovered other threats in the form of the Aschen and the Replicators. They also allied themselves with the Tok'ra, the Asgard, and the rebel Jaffa. The Goa'uld were eventually defeated, with help from their allies and their enemies.

After the defeat of the Goa'uld and the Replicators, significant threats to the planet appeared to have been eliminated, and the budget of the SGC was reduced so that focus could be placed on the Atlantis expedition and building new ships. A greater threat was discovered when exploration of Ancient technology led to the discovery of Ascended beings known as The Ori. The Ori became a major threat and are in the process of converting humans in the Milky Way to their worship. They intend to destroy all those who oppose their plans. The SGC has focused its efforts on finding an Ancient weapon, created by Merlin, known as the Holy Grail, to incapacitate The Ori.

Politics

Tau'ri political structures are complex. The planet is made up of 192 sovereign states. Control of the Stargate remained in the hands of the United States Air Force for several years, and knowledge of the Stargate program remained a secret from the general population and US allies.

The Russians discovered the existence of the Stargate Program and gained control of a Stargate when a Goa'uld ship crashed into international waters. They recovered the Stargate and started their own program. The US has engaged in several negotiations with the Russians regarding the Stargate. In exchange for loaning the SGC their DHD in "48 Hours," they received naquadah generator technology. When the SGC lost their Stargate due to an attack by Anubis, the SGC negotiated with Russia for use of their gate. In exchange, they received plans for US Air Force ships being built with alien technology.

The Stargate program's funding is overseen by the Senate Appropriations Committee, at one point led by Senator Robert Kinsey. Most daily decisions are made by the commanding officer of the SGC; the president is the final word on major decisions. Senator Kinsey used his influence to try to shut down the SGC and eventually to gain control of it. When the Stargate was revealed to major US allies in hopes of gaining their help in the fight against Anubis, Kinsey attempted to get control of the gate through the NID, a civilian organization that oversees the Stargate program, among other government agencies. His plan was thwarted when the Asgard Thor expressed his preference for the SGC's personnel to remain in charge. The international leaders agreed and the IOA (International Oversight Advisory) was formed.

The IOA oversees the Atlantis expedition and the Antarctic outpost of Atlantus. They have deferred to the US military on control of the gate but not all are comfortable with the situation. The Chinese representative believed that the general population should be informed.

Russia enjoys a comfortable position due to the SGC. They receive alien technology without expending their resources on a Stargate program of their own. On at least one occasion, they have used the IOA to manipulate the SGC for their own gain.

Allies

Over the last nine years, the SGC made several offworld allies. They exchange information with several human worlds, some of which they have rescued from the Goa'uld. One of their most important allies were the Tok'ra. The Tok'ra are related to the Goa'uld but have fought them for several thousand years. They participated on several missions to sabotage the Goa'uld, and the Tau'ri and Tok'ra have helped each other develop technology. Their most important contribution to the fight has been the exchange of information. The alliance eventually fell apart due to a disagreement over their methods of fighting the Goa'uld.

Teal'c was the Tau'ri's first alien ally. Teal'c's determination to free his fellow Jaffa from the Goa'uld spurred the Jaffa Rebellion. The Jaffa were invaluable in the ultimate defeat of the Goa'uld but their relationship with the Tau'ri also suffered at the same time the Tau'ri and Tok'ra parted ways.

The Asgard have been Earth's strongest ally and most valuable contributor to Earth's military strength. The Asgard possess vastly superior technology and have shared some of their knowledge with the Tau'ri in exchange for the invaluable service they provided in helping the Asgard defeat the Replicators.

Atlantis Expedition

The Tau'ri searched for the lost city for over a year before Jack O'Neill downloaded the Ancient Repository of Knowledge for a second time and led them to the Atlantus Outpost. There, Daniel Jackson discovered the address to Atlantis. Dr. Elizabeth Weir led the expedition to visit the Ancient city in the Pegasus Galaxy.

The expedition is overseen by the IOA and tasked with finding Ancient technology and knowledge that may help defend Earth. While there, the expedition awoke an ancient and deadly enemy, the Wraith, and the US military provided assistance against the threat. The military has no jurisdiction over the city but their help has become an absolute necessity for the survival of the expedition.

Military

The US military remains dominant in issues related to the Stargate and planetary defense, and the US Air Force has maintained control of the Stargate. The Russian military has become increasingly more involved and has begun building ships to defend the planet. The SGC has 25 teams that routinely travel through the Stargate to accomplish various missions, including the gathering of necessary intelligence.

Technology

The Tau'ri initially depended on their own weapons in their fight against the Goa'uld, including several projectile weapons and explosives. With increasing attention from the Goa'uld, they have focused on developing new technologies to defend Earth. They have incorporated many alien technologies in defense of the planet, including that of the Ancients, Goa'uld, and Asgard.

Naquadah generator technology was developed by the Orbanians and improved on significantly by the Tau'ri. They have also made use of naquadriah in the design of a smaller hyperdrive engine; naquadriah proved too unstable for this purpose. Naquadah has also been used to enhance nuclear weapons, increasing their yield significantly.

MALPs or Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probes, as well as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial vehicles), are used to explore alien planets before risking SGC personnel. MALPs test atmosphere viability and provide communication and video conferencing.

The Iris was one of the SGC's first major developments after discovering the Goa'uld threat. The original iris protected the Stargate with a titanium shield installed just 3 micrometers from the event horizon. When the first iris was destroyed by a black hole, a new one was created using a combination of Trinium and titanium.

Other Tau'ri technology includes: