Life story:
Born Meredith Rodney McKay in 1968, Rodney had a less than perfect childhood. Both Rodney and his sister, Jeanie, were 'save the marriage' babies but it didn't work and his parents called it quits just after the CIA came looking for Rodney after he built a working, but not lethal, model of an atom bomb for his grade six science fair.

Unfortunately his parents' divorce wasn't even finalized when they were killed in a head on collision with a drunk driver. Rodney and Jeanie both feel it is beyond unfair that the drunk driver walked away with only minor injuries while their mother languished in a coma for two weeks and their father died instantly.

Rodney was placed with a family in the US so the government could keep an eye on him and Jeanie was placed with a family friend in Canada. The siblings' relationship became strained; so much so that when Jeanie became pregnant during her junior year of college, Rodney refused to go see her instead telling her she was an idiot for keeping the baby, marrying the father and not finishing college. He did go see the baby when she was born but resolutely refused to do more than just look at her sleeping in her mother's arms.

Rodney received his first doctorate at age 22 and immediately began working on his second. While his brilliance made him a hot commodity within the scientific community, his abrasive personality didn't win him any friends. He has always insisted that that is just fine with him; that people only make life complicated and he has more than enough complications already, thank you very much.

After publishing several papers, he came to the attention of the Stargate Program. His personality kept him at Area 51 and away from the actual gate. Even though he only had access to computer simulations he felt he knows enough about the gate to help when it malfunctions. His theory was put to the test when a member of SG-1 is trapped within the gate buffer after a malfunction.

He insisted that there was no way to save him but was quickly proven wrong. It was a major blow to his ego. One he threw back by insulting Major Samantha Carter which got him transferred immediately to Siberia.

Less than a year later, he was called back to Cheyenne Mountain to assist when a low power signal kepts the gate open beyond the thirty-eight minutes it has been determined is safe. Once again his ideas are proven ineffectual but so are Sam's. In fact, it's Colonel Jack O'Neill's idea that saved the day.

But Rodney couldn't find it in him to be too angry because he's allowed to remain in the US. He returned to Area 51 where he resumed his work with Ancient technology.

When an Ancient outpost is discovered in Antarctica, Rodney is transferred there to help translate the Ancient text in the hopes of finding the lost city of Atlantis. While there he becomes friends with Carson Beckett, the geneticist who discovered the Ancient Technology Activation Gene, a gene needed to work most Ancient technology; roughly one-third of the population has this gene.

Rodney's life, while full of the excitement of soon being able to go to another planet, is rather dull and lonely; not that Rodney would ever admit to being lonely. Then comes the day when a messy haired Air Force pilot sits down in the Ancient control chair causing the whole place to come alive like a woman at her lover's touch.

When Rodney looks down into John's hazel green eyes he finds himself looking into his future without actually knowing it. But he does recognize that John will be dangerous to his health and tries to keep his distance. But then he discovers that John is picked for the Atlantis expedition and he will not be able to stay away.

When, just hours after arriving in Atlantis, John performs a complex mathematical equation in his head, Rodney knows he's done for.

When picking the members of his gate team, John chooses a young Marine Lieutenant, the leader of the native people they friended and Rodney. Rodney is surprised but enjoys being part of the main gate team. John and Rodney become best friends and are seen together more often than not.

Two years after arriving in Atlantis, the team is captured and John kisses Rodney to shut him up before he gets them killed. Then while escaping it is revealed that John is a Vampire. When questioned, John admits that Rodney is his Soul Mate. Rodney doesn't take it very well at first but soon comes around, the fact that he has a massive crush helps a lot.

Then just a few months later Rodney almost dies while trapped in a downed jumper on the bottom of the ocean. After recuing him, John decides (with a lot of urging from Carson and Elizabeth) that it's time to Turn him and takes him to the mainland so they can have some privacy.