Radek Zelenka

"Look, as much as I hate to say it, Zelenka’s not infallible."

- Rodney McKay

Radek Zelenka is a scientist from the Czech Republic and a member of the Atlantis expedition. He and Rodney McKay have performed miracles with Ancient technology over the years of the expedition's operation.

Biography
Radek grew up with a fairly poor family back in his home country, where he had a brother and a sister. When he was younger, his brother burnt down his home with one of the lit candles, forcing his family to live in a tent through the cold, Czech winter until the house was rebuilt. After growing up, his sister had a son, who, as Radek pointed out "breaks things and smears thing on furniture". He also raised racing pigeons. He became a gifted scientist, and was once offered a job in Masaryk University. However, when he was offered to join the Atlantis expedition, he turned down the offer at the University and joined a team to the Pegasus Galaxy, where he was to work under Rodney McKay. He may also have a wife as well.

2004
One of his first major duties was to help Sheppard, McKay, Teyla, Ford, Markham and Stackhouse, when their Puddle Jumper was damaged, and one of their drive pods didn't fully retract, which made them stuck halfway through the Stargate. He went to work in another Puddle Jumper to try to isolate the control pathways of the engine pod so McKay could retract the damaged pod. Zelenka managed to find a way to increase the odds of McKay's success from a one-in-a-million chance to one-in-a-thousand.

After this, he proceeded to work closely with McKay on several occasions, including discovering a command sequence which would open the roof of the Jumper bay, and working on trying to figure out a way to protect Atlantis from a massive storm that strikes Lantea every 20-30 years, heading its way to the city. He and McKay figured out that the storm's lightning could be used to power Atlantis' shield, but Zelenka left for Manaria, leaving McKay, Weir and Sheppard to implement the plan before the city was taken by a Genii strike team.

He actually decided to receive Carson Beckett's ATA gene therapy. However, it was revealed that the therapy doesn't work on him, since only 47-48% of recipients actually receive the gene successfully.

2005
He once inadvertently discovered Atlantis' Long range sensors, which fortunately warned the Expedition, after they detected three Wraith Hive Ships that were making their way to the city. When they thought they would have to evacuate the city, he devised a computer virus that would destroy the highly redundant Atlantis database, should Atlantis become lost to the Expedition. Weir told him to save what information they have on the database. However, Zelenka told her with all the computers and data-compressing technology, only as much as 9% of it could be saved. He also aided McKay in completing the Genii nuclear bombs, which would be used to destroy the two Hive Ships when delivered by a cloaked Puddle Jumper. However, due to the timely arrival of the Daedalus during the Atlantis siege, much of everything he planned no longer had to be implemented.

He worked alongside McKay while trying to make Project Arcturus work. While attempting to bring the power generator and weapon back online, Dr. Collins was killed when the reaction breached containment. Zelenka returned to Atlantis, and figured out why the Ancients had abandoned this technology; it was too unstable. He explained the situation to McKay, but he refused to listen to him. But after the power generator caused the destruction of 5/6 of the Doranda system, McKay apologized to him.

McKay once called in Zelenka to repair the glitches on the Electromagnetic field generator on M7G-677, the planet predominantly populated with children. He was less than impressed with the proposal, reciting his experiences with his nephew. However, since the threat of a Goa'uld plot to destroy Atlantis, he was forced to stay on 677, where the inhabitants decorated his face and hair, and accepted him into their tribe. After the visit, he quickly washed it off.

2006
He worked with Sheppard to help McKay, after his Jumper was sinking under the ocean. He was coaxed into sending a Jumper, to turn its cloak into a shield, so it could survive underwater, and rescue McKay, before his Jumper was either eaten by a Flagisallus, or taken on too much water, which would make McKay drown. Fortunately, McKay was rescued.

When the Wraith proposed an alliance, they wanted the Iratus bug retrovirus to be delivered to the rest of the Wraith. Zelenka and Beckett helped devise a plan by aerosolising the gas to environmental systems of a Hive Ship, in exchange for information on Wraith technology. However, he learned of a computer virus that was able to delete all info on Wraith tech. He also discovered the virus managed to discover a way to upgrade their hyperdrives, as well as the location of Earth. He helped Evan Lorne in making the newly discovered Orion operational, to engage the two Hives in the void. During the battle, he was able to use the drone weapons to destroy a Hive Ship, at the cost of the ship's shields. The Orion was destroyed, but Radek and the crew were beamed to Daedalus first.

He once detected Hive Ship moving towards the same Black Hole the Odyssey was near, as her crew attempted to dial the Ori Supergate from the Pegasus Galaxy. Zelenka was unable to warn the Odyssey due to interference from the black hole, but Dr. Weir successfully relayed the message through Stargate Command.

With the help of Jeannie Miller, McKay's sister, he was able to use her calculations on bridging alternate realities to perfect Project Arcturus in Atlantis. Jeannie was impressed and complimented him on his good work. Later, when some of the Lanteans aboard the Tria came back to reclaim the city, the entire Expedition was forced to leave. Radek was thinking of taking up the offer to work in Masaryk University.

2007
While attempting to learn of the ascension machine McKay was zapped with, a power surge forced Radek to flee, but a bolt of electricity severely wounded him. However, McKay, with his new found abilities, was able to use his healing powers to heal him. Zelenka was touched by what McKay did and promised to keep working to find a solution. As McKay knew he was going to die soon, he made some amends with Zelenka for the way he treats him, leaving Zelenka shocked. Later, when learning of a simulation McKay and Sheppard was "playing", he did the same with Lorne on one planet, until an argument between them forced Weir to ban the activity. When Beckett died, he was one of his pallbearers to take the coffin back to Earth

Zelenka was instrumental in the attempts to repair Atlantis when it was stranded in space, after the Asuran Stargate satellite damaged the city's power conduits. He attempted to patch them up with secondary conduits to activate the stardrive again. However, after passing an asteroid belt, the stardrive crystals were damaged, and he had to fix it. However, in the process, a micro asteroid hits him in the leg, but did not hit a major artery, and recovered enough to walk, and helped McKay build a hyperdrive in a Jumper, which used to steal a ZPM from M7R-227.

During the Kirsen fever outbreak, Carter ordered Radek to remove the Gate's crystals, as Gate travel was suspended. However, he started to lose his memories, and became paranoid when Lorne and his team searched for him. He was able to knock one out and acquired a Wraith handblaster. However, he helped Carter and McKay, who also lost their memories, to save Teyla, and stop the outbreak, by aerosolising the Enchuri plant, curing the entire city.

2008
He was stuck with Carter in one of Atlantis' transporters during a false quarantine. Lorne and Sheppard were able to free them. When he learned of the city's self destruct being activated, he went through the city's air vents, and went to the room to deactivate the destruction of the city.

After Dr. Keller was infected with a Wraith pathogen, and grew to the power conduits, Radek attempted to stop this and look at the damage the tendrils caused. However, one of them took a hold of him, and tried to kill him, but was saved by Teyla, who shot the tendrils, releasing him.

He startled thief and murderer Neeva Casol, who was in Jennifer Keller's body at the time, though she was at first unaware of it. Zelenka suspected she did not feel very well and insisted she come into the infirmary. However, thinking she was caught for her crimes, she picked up a pair of pliars and stabbed him. Expedition members soon learn of this, and attempted surgery. They stopped the bleeding, and he was in a light coma, but fortunately, he would make a full recovery. After Keller got her body back, she apologised to him, but he insisted it wasn't her fault.

Alternate realities

 * In an alternate timeline, Radek Zelenka traveled to Atlantis, while the power began to fail and the city began to be flooded by the ocean. He was radioed by John Sheppard to check out a Puddle jumper different from the others. Zelenka, Sheppard, and Elizabeth Weir were thrown back in time to the siege of Atlantis by the Wraith at the end of the Ancient-Wraith war. They came under attack by a pair of Wraith Darts and were shot down. Zelenka and Sheppard were killed in the crash, but Weir survived.
 * In one alternate reality, he was getting along with McKay of that reality, known better as "Rod", and Radek even taught him some Czech.
 * In an alternate timeline, he may or may not have been helping McKay build the Phoenix, since McKay was "too busy to remember", although he was seen delivering him a coffee.

Personality and traits
Radek works under Rodney McKay, who at first, doesn't remember his name, but eventually does. He also has to put up with all of McKay's condescending behavior, but seems very patient with him, most of the time. He is also very intelligent, and claims that no one can beat him in Chess. Despite that, McKay still thinks he is not as intelligent as he is, but did once acknowledge his intelligence. Zelenka also heads his own group, but McKay however, refers to his group as the "B team". He is highly respected among his peers, but is a socially awkward person. Dr. Keller once pointed out that she found it a little weird when he kept complimenting her on the smell of her hair.

Czech outbursts
Radek's first language is Czech, and he often has his outbursts, when he is either surprised, panicked, or frustrated.
 * Můžeš mi dát ty nejnovější data, prosim? Já se s tímhle nemůžu hnout.: Please, could you give me the latest data? I can’t seem to solve this.
 * Ne, tak aspoň, aspoň tři mi dej.: No. Give me at least, at least three.
 * To je ono, my to máme.: That is it, we have it.
 * Ježiši, já s těma hercema nemůžu dělat: Jesus, I can't work with these actors.
 * (Inadvertantly breaking security clearance on a message to his family) Na dně moře máme „fail safe“, mechanismus. Obrovskou silou vytrhl kotvu města ze dna oceánu. My jsme.. Zhrozili jsme jsme.. Zhrozili jsme se. Neuveřitelný, co se to děje a ten hluk; celé město se třáslo jako při zemětřesení. To bylo něco neuvěritelnýho. A najednou... se hneme. Celé město stoupalo. Stoupalo nahoru, nahoru k hladině. To, to bylo něco neuveřitelnýho a a a a a věže prorazily hladinu a vyjeli jsme nahoru nahoru a vody, vlny, vodopády, všechno teče z těch vejšek. A my... vystřelili jsme nahoru, úplně, úplně na vršek.. Slunce.... Sluníčko, prostě.... proudilo do všech oken. Do smrti, do smrti na to nezapomenu.: On the bottom of the sea we have a failsafe mechanism. It pulled up the anchor of the city from the bottom of the sea with great force. We.... we were.... we were scared. That was incredible, what happened? And that noise. The whole city was shaking, it was like an earthquake. That was so incredible. And then we were moving. The whole city was rising. It was rising up, rising up to the ocean surface. It was, it was really incredible and the towers broke through the surface. We were going up. Water, waves, waterfalls were falling down from the heights. And we... we were shot up, right to the top. Sun... just shine... It was shining through all the windows. I'll remember it for the rest of my life... for the rest of my life.
 * Drž se, miláčku.: Take care, honey.
 * No jo... Tak jo děcka, do toho, jdeme, jdeme, jdeme, musíme tohle dodělat, pojdte už, honem!: Yeah... Okay kids, come on, go go go, we have to finish it, come on, move on!
 * Ty vole "Say hi to the kids for me", já ti dám, ty seš takovej vůl.: Damn it, 'Say hi to the kids for me', you're gonna get it from me, you're such an idiot.
 * Do prdele, to je na hovno tohle to, kdo to vymyslel že budeme pod vodou tentokrát?: "For cryin' out loud", this sucks. We're gonna be under water this time - whose idea was that?
 * I am trying, do prdele!: "Do prdele!" is a very impolite expression of anger and frustration. It literally means, "into the ass".
 * To je frajer teda, to je...: That's a cool guy, heh, that is...
 * On letí, on tak krásně letí...: He's flying, he's flying so beautifully...
 * Měj se.: Take care. (said to Radek by "Rod")
 * Zaplať pánbůh.: Thank goodness.
 * Tak takhle to nejde teda, tohle je na prd.: Not like that, this is crap.
 * Já s ním nebudu dělat. Já se už na to můžu vysrat.: I will not work with him. Second sentence contains "Vysrat se na ...". It is similarly impolite expression like "Do prdele!". "Vysrat se na to"(to which means it can be replaced by noun) means "Take a dump on it/something"
 * That's it. Já ho zabiju. To je magor, naprostej idiot.: That's it. I'll kill him. He is a moron, total idiot.
 * No jo no, zase je to na mě.: It's always me who has to do this.
 * I'll have the power off in no time. Ježiš, to je neuvěřitelný, já jsem takovej debil! Si bude myslet, že jsem naprostej idiot. (peeps in) Nó, tak co mně zbejvá, no... Tohleto né...(groaning) Se sem nevejdu...fuj to smrdí! (looks down) Ježišmarija... (looks around) Jéžiš, to snad né...: I'll have the power off in no time. Jesus, that's unbelievable, I'm SUCH a moron! She'll think I'm a total idiot. (peeps in) Well, what else should I do? No, not this again...(groaning) Don't fit here...ugh, this place stinks! (looks down) Jesus Christ... (looks around) Oh tell me it's not happening!
 * I should have stabbed him. That would be best. I've had enough of this.

Behind the scenes

 * David Nykl was born in Prague in what was then Czechoslovakia.
 * Nykl originally auditioned for a role of a Russian character. However, due to his Czech background, the producers gave him a Czech part.
 * He was originally given the part of Zelenka for just one episode. However, due to good reception from the fans and the Atlantis production team, his status was upgraded to a recurring character.
 * In a deleted scene in season 5, Radek is seen arguing with Rodney McKay over the use of the 9th chevron, arguing it could send someone accross the universe.

Other versions

 * Radek Zelenka (Asuran)
 * Radek Zelenka (Sekkari AI)