Summary: Jack's attempting physics again Notes: This is just a small bit of dribble written while trying to entertain a sick child. Make of it what you will :-) |
"Center of the universe," Jack blurted suddenly.
"Sir?" Sam said, looking away from the star map she had projected on the screen in her lab.
"Where is it?" Jack asked.
"Where's...?" Sam said cautiously.
"The center of the universe," Jack repeated. "Aris Boch said Earth wasn't the center of the universe. How does he know?"
"Galaxy," Daniel mumbled.
"What?"
"He said Earth wasn't the center of the galaxy."
"You sure?"
"Pretty sure," Daniel said, looking at Jack with a frown.
"Oh. Well, damn. That's true."
"Sir, about your question this morning," Sam said, lengthening her stride to keep up with Jack.
"What question?"
"Center of the universe."
"Daniel said that Boch said center of the galaxy," Jack said.
"Yes, I know, but you did originally ask about the universe," Sam reminded him.
"I did," Jack acknowledged. "So where is it?"
"Well, sir, it's everywhere."
"Come again?"
"It's everywhere. Anywhere."
"That makes sense... Not."
"Okay, you know everything's expanding, right?" Sam said.
"Is that a comment on the size of my ass?" Jack asked.
"Wouldn't think of it, sir."
"Big Bang. Expanding universe," Jack said, waving his hand for her to continue.
"Right. So all the stars are moving away from each other."
"Unless you got like a big black hole sucking stuff toward it," Jack said.
"Don't confuse the issue, sir," Sam said with a sigh. "Now, from any given vantage point—say Earth—all other bodies appear to be moving away from it, expanding out away from the Earth."
"So Earth is the center of the universe?"
"Yes. And no."
Jack sighed.
"The same thing happens when you choose a different vantage point," Sam explained. "Go to the Asgard homeworld and the same thing happens. Whatever point you choose will appear to be the center of the expansion."
"This is very..." Jack said, struggling with the concept.
"It's, like, totally cosmic," Sam said in her best valley girl voice.
"Daniel, did you realize that the center of the universe is right here?"
Daniel looked at where Jack's hand was placed. And snorted.
"Right, Jack. You just keep telling yourself that."
"I'm serious, Daniel."
"Jack..."
"Ask Carter."
"About?" Daniel said, looking at where Jack's hand was again. "I don't think so."
"It's all relative," Jack persisted.
"To what?"
"Um.." Jack frowned. "To where you are."
"Wherever I am— that's the center of the universe?" Daniel said skeptically.
Jack thought, structuring his response in terms of perspective and expansion and... He looked at Daniel and smiled.
"Yes."
The End
Disclaimer: The SGC and its employees are not the property of the author. This story written purely for entertainment purposes and with no intent to infringe on the rights of others. |