Matthew Scott

"...Light-years away from the admiring eyes of your father, or your drill sergeant, or whoever's approval it is you so desperately seek."

- Nicolas Rush

Matthew Scott also known as Matt is a Tau'ri with the rank of lieutenant who was assigned to Icarus Base. Scott was the second-in-command to Colonel Everett Young. Green around the edges at the time he was stranded aboard the Destiny, Scott was thrust into a leadership role before he was entirely ready for it. Because of this, he had to learn how to command, earn respect through action, as well as how to manage the differing personalities stuck aboard the ship. .

Early life
"I've sinned, Father. I failed you, I failed Him...I failed myself."

- Scott

Matthew Scott's parents died in a car crash when he was 4 and he was raised by a Priest. At some point in his early life, Scott had confessed to his adoptive father that he had unintentionally impregnated a 16 year old girl that he barely knew. He would go on to believe that she had aborted the baby with his faith called into question. Up until this point of weakness, he had thought joining the priesthood was his calling. The priest, his adoptive father, died of liver failure due to alcoholism when Scott was 16.

2009
"You're a fine young officer. You've got a heart as big as a house."

- Everett Young

Though he remains religious, Scott did not become a priest like he had envisioned and by 2009 was a lieutenant in the United States Air Force, stationed at Icarus Base. When the base came under the attack of three Ha'tak vessels under command of the Lucian Alliance, he led the evacuation through the Stargate to the nine-symbol address - the Ancient ship, Destiny. He was then put in charge of the new expedition when his commanding officer, Colonel Everett Young was critically injured during the evacuation.

During this time, he was hiding a sexual relationship with Vanessa James, though Sgt. Ronald Greer seemed to be aware.

When it was discovered that Destiny's life-support was failing, Scott led an expedition through the Stargate to the desert planet chosen by Destiny computers. In order to search the planet for Lime more efficiently (and slightly irritated at being slowed down by Eli Wallace), Scott split the expedition into two teams. He ordered Eli to lead Franklin, Curtis and Palmer in one direction while he, Rush and Greer went in another. A while later, he began seeing a sort of life form, though he did not mention it to the others, possibly believing it to be a mirage. When Dr. Rush could go no farther, Scott then ordered Greer to take Rush back to the Stargate and continued his search alone.

Alone in the desert, Scott saw the dust devil life form again wich started leading him to the Lime after he gave it water, began to hallucinate and had a "vision" of his past. He lost consciousness on the bank of a dry lake bed, but was wakened when the life form sprung water from beneath the sand. He tested the lake bed for Lime and, finding some, shoveled it into his pack and began making his way back to the Gate. Somewhere on the path back, he lost consciousness again; fortunately, he was found by Sgt. Greer and they returned to Destiny together.

After refilling the CO2 scrubbers, it was discovered that Destiny was losing power. During this time, Scott was familiarizing himself with the control systems of the only available Ancient shuttle. Though his only flight experience had been in an F-302 simulator, he expressed interest in taking the shuttle for a "joy ride". He made rubbings of the ancient lettering on the controls and had them translated by Adam Brody. He then posted the translated English notes with each button and switch, though, as Dr. Rush, pointed out, he got some backward.

Later Scott took part in the "Hoth" planet mission to recover frozen water for the mysteriously vanishing supplies on the Destiny. When it was discovered that culprit for the missing water was Scott's old friends (the dust bugs he encountered on the desert planet), Scott defended the aliens when they team considered them dangerous after learning about Gorman's attack by explaining how the aliens helped him find the Lime that Destiny needed. On "Hoth", Scott's life was in danger when he fell in to a crevice during a tremor, damaging his suit and exposing him to the planet's lethal atmosphere. Col. Young was forced to carry him back to the Stargate where he had another encounter with the aliens, that had been thrown through the Gate in a drum of water. While Rush had warned the pair of them to remain still, the aliens apparently recognized the injured Scott and flew over to him as if to greet him. Their presence brought Scott briefly back to consciousness as the aliens formed a face that smiled reassuringly at him. They then flew off to explore their new world.

When the IOA enacted a plan to return the crew home, Scott was hesitant to agree with their course of action. He knew something had to be done but out of loyalty to the chain of command he didn't take immediate action. When Rush enacted a plan to prevent the plan from being implemented, Scott was vaguely aware of his plans though didn't know Rush's course of action. When Telford and his team abandoned ship and after Rush ended the rouse, he assured people that they were safe.

During the daily routine on the Destiny, he lead the crew in a physical fitness regiment. He included general exercises as well as a run on a marked course on the ship. During his trip to Earth via the Communication stone, he had plans to visit a friend at Edwards Air Force Base. He changed his plans when he got a letter from Annie Balic. When he finally met with her, he discovered that she didn't abort her pregnancy eight years previous. She had given birth and raised Matthew Balic, his son. When he offered to help financially, she informed him that she could handle it herself. The revelation of his son and that he was so far away affected him quite severely.

Annie Balic
Though the two barely knew each other, in what Scott considers a "mistake", Annie became pregnant with his son at 16 years old. With all the pressures Scott was going through at the time, Annie decided to tell him she would abort it, but she had actually kept the baby. She informed him in a letter sent eight years later, after he had become stranded aboard Destiny. He wished to help her and offered his monthly USAF cheque, but she was independent and adamant that she could do it on her own.

Vanessa James
Prior the attack on Icarus Base, Scott and James had an intimate physical relationship. The relationship deteriorated following Scott's start of a relationship with Chloe, though she is still supportive of him. She showed great concern when he was trapped on Hoth.

Chloe Armstrong
Chloe leaned heavily on Scott following her father's death. He helped her to realize that he sacrificed himself out of love for her. When the ship was bound for a star, they began a physical relationship. The two are very much connected. She was supportive to him, though stunned, when she discovered he had a kid.

Family
Matthew Scott's parents died in a car crash when he was 4 and he was raised by a Priest. Matthew currently has an eight year old son named after him who he believed hadn't been born.

Dust bugs
Matthew was the first member of the Destiney crew to have an encounter with an alien life form and even seemed to develop a rapport with the Dust Devil life form. When Matthew noticed he was being followed by what was believed to be a hallucination, he tested the entity's sentience by pouring some water in to the sand. The creatures responded positively to this gesture and proceeded to follow Scott across the planet and even aided him in his search for Lime. Then, out of possible curiosity or a desire for more water, several entities followed Matthew back to the ship. Later Matthew defended the creatures from the rest of the crew who considered them dangerous after they responded to an asault by Gorman. The aliens also appeared to heal Scott of some of his injuries during the accident on Hoth when they met again.

Personality
Scott has been shown to be a brave and level headed person when face with dangerous situations and also very caring for those around him. HE was the first person through the gate on to the Destiney quickly taking charge and helping others who followed him through the gate. Young once commente on Scotts caring nature has being a good thing while Rush dosent think much of him thinking him to naieve and just out to prove something. Scott has also appeared to have addapted well to life on the destiney forming close relationships with many of the oposing groups and is genrally well liked by the crew who he has risked his life several times for.

Alternate Timelines

 * In the first alternate timeline, Scott is part of the team that investigates the jungle planet and gets trapped when any wormhole dialed to Destiny becomes unstable and everyone grows sick. During the first night he gets bitten by one of the creatures and falls into a coma.  When he wakes up a couple days later, everyone is dead and while his wound hurts him, he is mysteriously cured of his illness.  Desperate, he dials Destiny and sends the Kino through the still unstable wormhole hoping to make contact with anyone there and then follow it through.  When he throws the Kino through the wormhole, he inadvertantly sends it back in time creating the second alternate timeline.  His fate after this is unknown.
 * In the second alternate timeline, Scott is once again part of the team that travels to the jungle planet, but they head back after finding the remains of Rush from the first timeline and the Kino his own alternate self sent through the Stargate. After learning of the illness, he along with everyone else quarantines themselves, but learn that the disease is from the contaminated water supply.  After learning from the Kino about his being cured in the first timeline, Rush figures out that a solar flare caused the unstable wormhole and time travel and that they have an hour before it hits.  Realizing that the creatures on the planet's venom could cure the disease, Scott joins a team that heads to the planet to find and capture the creatures.  Scott is shocked and horrified to learn of Chloe's death of the illness.  The team gets attacked by the creatures and all but Scott are killed.  Desperate, he dials the Destiny, waits until the wormhole becomes unstable due to the solar flare and records a message about the illness and how the creatures venom can cure it, before tossing the Kino through the Stargate into the past.

Behind the scenes

 * Matthew Scott was originally named Jared Nash, then Jared Scott before being changed to Matthew Scott before production of the episodes began.