Rush - What is he really after?

[erotavlas]

So we see that Rush was working hard on the 9th chevron project while his wife was dying. He never really spent enough time with her in the end. It seems to me like he doesn't want all that work he did while his wife was dying to be in vain. Like he has to follow through with the mission at all costs otherwise neglecting his wife all that time would have been for nothing.

In that case it could be he's not really after anything specific (particularly not ascension - at least not as his primary objective), but rather the discovery of the destiny and the knowledge within as a whole.

Maybe he's just hoping for any new and significant insight or discovery into the ancients regardless of what it is, in hopes that his work wasn't for nothing. (i.e. he can feel better for his actions at least)

[thekillman]

i think his motivation is, that it's the only goal and use in life he has left

[JustAnotherVoice]

I see it as Rush trying to escape from the reality of the situation. He threw himself into his work during the final months of his wife's life as a method of "coping" with his loss by not dealing with it - he quite literally left his problems several million miles (light years?) behind. The survivor's guilt that has been plaguing him turned him into the bitter, angry, self loathing man we knew until this episode, and now that he's (apparently) finally had a cathartic experience, maybe we can see who the real Nicholas Rush is.

How this affects his motivations, I haven't the foggiest. I doubt he'll suddenly become apologetic for all the things he's done, nor would he excuse any scientific curiosity he has. He wouldn't have agreed to join Icarus if he wasn't curious on some level about the answers to the universe, so perhaps that will remain his primary motivator, just without the baggage of the guilt that drove him to Destiny.

[Commander Zelix]

I always thought he was in for his wife. Now I'm not sure. But Rush has been very clear in Time:

RUSH: Of course, the Ancients evolved to a point where their physical bodies were no longer necessary, found a way for consciousness to become immortal.

WALLACE: D'you really think that's possible?

RUSH (determinedly): I know it is.

(He pauses for a moment, then smiles awkwardly at Eli.)

RUSH: Maybe not for you and me, but that idea - it's the reason why I ended up here.

WALLACE (hesitantly): So, you think if we learn enough, that-that somehow, somewhere out there, we could discover how it's done?

(Rush doesn't answer for a long time but finally half turns towards Eli.)

RUSH: We have to make it through the day.

[SaberBlade]

Rush's motivation is to never return home. He doesn't want Destiny going back to Earth, he wants it all for himself. He'd do anything to stay on the ship, and he'd do even more to make sure he can do whatever he wants on the ship.

[escyos]

i think his motivation is, that it's the only goal and use in life he has left

that makes sense, he doesnt have anything left,except Destiny and im pretty sure while he would like to find a way to bring his wife back he knows it wont happen.

[General Jumper One]

Ascension

[_SocraticMethod]

Does anyone else think it's plausible that Rush has a motivation similar to Malakai from "Window of Opportunity"? Perhaps it seems unlikely that this was his motivation upon leaving Icarus through the gate; but maybe now that he's on Destiny.... I mean, he knows an awful lot about the Ancients and obviously has a great deal of reverence for their abilities. Maybe he's hoping he'll find a way to 'turn back time', as it were, and get his wife back?
It maybe a little bit like Annorax in ST: VOY as well (i.e. "Year of Hell")....

[Commander Zelix]

Does anyone else think it's plausible that Rush has a motivation similar to Malakai from "Window of Opportunity"? Perhaps it seems unlikely that this was his motivation upon leaving Icarus through the gate; but maybe now that he's on Destiny.... I mean, he knows an awful lot about the Ancients and obviously has a great deal of reverence for their abilities. Maybe he's hoping he'll find a way to 'turn back time', as it were, and get his wife back?
It maybe a little bit like Annorax in ST: VOY as well (i.e. "Year of Hell")....

I always thought that he was doing it to save his wife like the obsessed Annorax (such a great story), no matter the consequences. But with Human, I'm not quite sure. In Time, he clearly state that he's in for the ascension thing.

[_SocraticMethod]

I always thought that he was doing it to save his wife like the obsessed Annorax (such a great story), no matter the consequences. But with Human, I'm not quite sure. In Time, he clearly state that he's in for the ascension thing.

Mhmm, you're right, he does. But I always wondered: ascension to what end? He just doesn't strike me as the Daniel type, to want ascension out of a desire for wisdom... Perhaps he thinks he can find a way to get his wife back that way?

[erotavlas]

Does anyone else think it's plausible that Rush has a motivation similar to Malakai from "Window of Opportunity"? Perhaps it seems unlikely that this was his motivation upon leaving Icarus through the gate; but maybe now that he's on Destiny.... I mean, he knows an awful lot about the Ancients and obviously has a great deal of reverence for their abilities. Maybe he's hoping he'll find a way to 'turn back time', as it were, and get his wife back?
It maybe a little bit like Annorax in ST: VOY as well (i.e. "Year of Hell")....

not sure I can see that. He would have to figure out how to go back in time on the Destiny AND find a way to get back to Earth to the time before his wife got sick (maybe with a cure he found as well like a way to eliminate her the gene that caused her cancer)

If he wanted to go back in time so badly couldn't he just use one of those puddle jumpers that SG1 used? (does the SGC still have them?)

[Commander Zelix]

Mhmm, you're right, he does. But I always wondered: ascension to what end? He just doesn't strike me as the Daniel type, to want ascension out of a desire for wisdom... Perhaps he thinks he can find a way to get his wife back that way?

It's what I always thought. But I find that surprising that this didn't come up in his guilt trip in Human. "I'm doing this for you" didn't come up.

[erotavlas]

I always thought he was in for his wife. Now I'm not sure. But Rush has been very clear in Time:

RUSH: Of course, the Ancients evolved to a point where their physical bodies were no longer necessary, found a way for consciousness to become immortal.

WALLACE: D'you really think that's possible?

RUSH (determinedly): I know it is.

(He pauses for a moment, then smiles awkwardly at Eli.)

RUSH: Maybe not for you and me, but that idea - it's the reason why I ended up here.

WALLACE (hesitantly): So, you think if we learn enough, that-that somehow, somewhere out there, we could discover how it's done?

(Rush doesn't answer for a long time but finally half turns towards Eli.)

RUSH: We have to make it through the day.

He clearly says its probably not possible for Wallace and himself to achieve it. Even Daniel couldn't ascend on his own, he needed help. And there's no one there to help Rush ascend.

...but what if that smile toward Eli (while he was talking to Wallace) meant he thinks Eli could achieve it???

[JackO'Neill]

He clearly says its probably not possible for Wallace and himself to achieve it. Even Daniel couldn't ascend on his own, he needed help. And there's no one there to help Rush ascend.

...but what if that smile toward Eli (while he was talking to Wallace) meant he thinks Eli could achieve it???

Rodney of all people did could have Ascended if he wanted to at one point. Didn't Atlantis figure out how to do it ?

[Specter177]

He clearly says its probably not possible for Wallace and himself to achieve it. Even Daniel couldn't ascend on his own, he needed help. And there's no one there to help Rush ascend.

...but what if that smile toward Eli (while he was talking to Wallace) meant he thinks Eli could achieve it???

You do know that Eli is Wallace, right?

[Kaiphantom]

Rodney of all people did could have Ascended if he wanted to at one point. Didn't Atlantis figure out how to do it ?

That was because of a machine that was changing him *physically*. Our bodies haven't evolved physically enough to do ascension normally; we need help. Perhaps Rush thinks that, Destiny is a good stepping stone toward that goal, since it comes from a point where the Ancients were still more advanced than us, but not enough for ascension, either.

As for my take, Rush is just after knowledge. Studying the 9th chevron, his life's work, cost him being there for his wife's passing. He wants to make his work count for something know, he's desperate. But he doesn't want anyone else getting close, because he doesn't want to risk losing them like his wife. And he probably holds out some small hope he can figure out ascension, to leave the cares of physical mortals behind.

[jelgate]

To learn all about the Destiny he can. Its what he did instead of being with his dying wife. Since she is dead I think his work is all Rush has left

[erotavlas]

You do know that Eli is Wallace, right?

WHAT! Wallace? All this time I thought Wallace was the other tech guy....

[Fridgefiend]

WHAT! Wallace? All this time I thought Wallace was the other tech guy....

haha nope Wallace is Eli's last name. I don't even think any other tech guys were on that planet. Maybe brody

[Commander Zelix]

LOL at the Wallace thing. We don't get to hear his last name very often. As in "Mr. Wallace here thinks..." Sounds odd.

Volker was also there on the planet. First to exhibit symptoms of the illness I think.