Eli Wallace

"You're cute. And you're funny too. And you're a genius... And... you're a good friend."

- Chloe Armstrong

Eli Wallace is a male Tau'ri who was considered to be both a complete slacker, yet an utter genius, who could put his mind to anything he wanted including computers, mathematics, and video games. Due to his lack of confidence, he developed an acerbic sense of humor.

Biography
"...And then some kid - some big child - with no meaningful education is gonna jump in at the last moment... and solve it just like that. No sense of ambition; spends most of his time playing ridiculous games, yet he's the genius I'll never be."

- Nicholas Rush on Eli's help with the Icarus Project

Early life
When Eli was fourteen years old his mother, Maryann Wallace, contracted HIV working as a nurse, when she was trying to restrain a junkie. His father, who could not deal with the stress, left both of them behind. From then on Eli's mother took sole responsibility for raising her son until the point where he left to study at MIT. Unfortunately, Eli dropped out and did not receive his degree. Prior to his dealings with the United States Air Force, Eli was unemployed and spent a large amount of time playing video games, namely Prometheus. He is a science-fiction fan who commonly referencing movies such as Planet of the Apes and Star Wars even when they are wildly out of context. For example, he made parallels between the ice planet, which the team was visiting as a last ditch effort to extract potable water and Hoth, right in the middle of an intense power struggle between Nicholas Rush and Everett Young.

2009
"Give me a break, this is my second spaceship...and my first was yesterday."

- Eli Wallace

Sometime in 2009, Dr. Nicholas Rush and others placed an actual astro-physical Stargate problem into a video game to see if anyone outside the Stargate program could solve it. After a month of trying, Eli Wallace was able to solve this problem and gained the attention of Lieutenant General Jack O'Neill and Dr. Rush, who approached him about joining the program. At first, he believed they were after him for something, and claimed to have not been responsible for anything. However, they actually needed his help, and moments later, he was beamed aboard the Tau'ri vessel George Hammond, which was situated in Earth orbit. Rush presented him with an incentive to join the Stargate program: The Air Force would pay for his sick mother's medical bills and treatment. Eli agreed.

During the trip to the Icarus Base, Eli watched a very long instructional video (though it appears that there were several that were not shown to him), starring Daniel Jackson and was briefed on the Icarus Project. He also struck up a friendship with Chloe Armstrong which would later grow into a case of unrequited love on his part. He arrived at the Icarus Base and watched the first attempt to dial the Stargate's nine chevron address. When the base was attacked by a fleet of Ha'tak vessels and Death Gliders, he and the team were forced to evacuate. As military personnel dialed the Earth gate to escape, Eli helped Rush solve the mystery surrounding the ninth chevron, stating that the point of origin meant Earth, not the planet they're on. Rush impulsively dialed the ninth chevron address instead of the Earth address, which forced the personnel at Icarus Base to evacuate to the Ancient starship, Destiny, several billion light years away from Earth. Here Eli and the other evacuees are stranded. Since they do not have enough power to dial Earth and return home.

Once aboard the Destiny, Eli assisted Doctor Rush in locating the leaks responsible for draining the ship's air supply. He witnessed his first death when Senator Alan Armstrong sacrificed himself to seal the last leak.

He volunteered to travel to a desert planet with Matthew Scott, Ronald Greer, Andrea Palmer, Nicholas Rush, Jeremy Franklin and Curtis but quickly proved himself - though willing - less than capable of making the journey. Scott later put Eli in charge of one of two exploration teams, partly to cover more ground, but also so that Eli wouldn't slow him down. Eli was the only member of his team who decided to trust Rush and not go to another planet through the Stargate.

After discovering Kinos aboard Destiny Eli started recording himself walking around and describing parts of ship in case if someone else would find it. He also asked fellow crew members to record Kino messages about themselves

Shortly after arrival in the Hoth system, Eli constructed a "hover board" using several Kinos, placed under a stretcher to achieve levitation. Colonel Young and Lieutenant Scott successfully used it to carry ice back through the Stargate to Destiny, and it was also used to carry Scott when he was injured on the planet.

After Eli returned from his trip to Earth, Colonel Young asked him to run simulations and review Rush's calculations regarding dialling the Stargate within a star. Unfortunately, Eli couldn't find a solution that didn't end very badly. While reviewing Rush's work, Eli discovered that Rush had invented the story about an Icarus-Class planet in the database, spurring false hopes among the Destiny crew. It's also around this time Eli is seen practicing yoga with Chloe.

A week later, Eli was among those present when Greer taste tested the Alien sweet potato. After discovering Sgt. Spencer dead, he was part of the group that started the search for the missing gun. He located the weapon in Col. Young's quarters, an action he regretted. He thoroughly investigated the footage of a searching Kino. When Franklin sat in the Early repository of knowledge chair, he looked again. An error on a timestamp led him to discover the original video on his laptop contained footage of Spencer's suicide what exonerated Young. Eli also kept the video of Rush hiding the gun secret and helped Young to conceal the truth.

After Young marooned Dr. Rush on the Barren planet, he put Eli in charge of figuring out everything Rush was working on. Eli operated Destiny's weapon systems during both battles with the blueberry aliens. He disagreed with Young's order to use the main gun, as it would drain the shields, but complied anyway.

During the mutiny, Eli sided with the military. He was exchanged to the civilians in return for food and water, both to prevent him from gaining control of Destiny's systems, and so he could help Rush transfer power to the shields. When the blueberry aliens attacked, Eli once again operated the weapon systems. Eli did not go down to the Obelisk planet.

Eli, along with Chloe, Lt Scott, and Sgt Greer, went exploring a planet that obviously supported intelligent life at one point. When they explored an underground structure, Greer shot at a giant spider causing a cave-in and trapping them. After a while of digging the rescue team was forced to leave them stranded on the planet. They eventually found a way out and started to travel through the gates to try to catch up to Destiny. When they got to the last planet they missed the ship by a few seconds. They were able to make it back after Destiny was sabotaged. Eli subsequently aided Rush and Amanda Perry in repairing the FTL drive.

When the Lucian Alliance invaded, Eli took refuge in the kino room with Chloe. After the Alliance managed to break through, Chloe and Eli escaped using an elevator that took them near the front of the ship. Chloe was shot in the leg during the escape. Eli carried her through the ship until they reached a working console. After contacting Rush, Eli was forced to leave to help Scott and Greer. Before he left he said "Whatever happens, you know, right?", kissed her on the cheek, and left.

Personality
When he was either seven or eight years old, when his grandfather passed away, he became aware of his own mortality, and ever since then, was scared at the thought that his consciousness would end, and not see what would happen in the world, thus making Eli question, or disbelieve the existence of an afterlife.

Alternate timelines

 * In an alternate timeline, Eli was on the jungle planet when the nocturnal creatures attacked. Greer showed him how to use an M4 Rifle. He survived the first night, but was killed sometime later on. He recorded everything on a Kino which became useful to the crew from another reality were able to discover exactly what happened.
 * In a second alternate timeline, Eli and others went to the same jungle planet and discovered the Kino sent through from the first timeline. They also found human remains, presumably those of Nicholas Rush who also went back in time when he jumped through the Gate. Eli and other senior members watched the Kino recordings and discovered the Hoth virus and the potential cure. Unfortunately by this time Chloe had already fallen ill. Eli, at her bedside, decided to confess all of his feelings towards her. She, along with James, Volker and Franklin were all killed by the virus in this timeline.

Behind the scenes
Eli was originally given the surname of Hitchcock, but this was later changed to Wallace before he appeared in Stargate Universe.