ultranos: sam carter looking up, text: "oh crap, the retroencabulator needs a new marzelvane." (technobabble handwave)
ultranos ([personal profile] ultranos) wrote2008-12-08 02:04 pm
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More Adventures in Stargate Science

Why I keep doing this to myself, I'll never know. But, once again, I am trying to make sense of Gate'verse science. May god have mercy upon my soul.

Question: how effective is the ATA gene therapy? 30%? 50%? 60%? 85%? All I remember is McKay at one point got the therapy and it took, so he could fly the jumper. Aaand...that's about it. How much does the city respond to just people, regardless of the gene or not? Because if Atlantis requires that you have the gene to open a door, the gene therapy better damn well have at least 97% effectiveness, or people like Sheppard would be running around the entire time opening doors for people. Which, um, no.

On the other hand, if the gene just lets you play with the really cool stuff, like jumpers, then I can believe a 50% or lower success rate. But that doesn't really make much sense, if the Ancients wanted to make sure no one but them or people like them (read: NOT THE WRAITH) could play with their toys or city. Then again, I may be giving the Ancients too much credit.

(Can you people tell it's the end of the semester? Whee, I can't control my brain anymore.)
havocthecat: the lady of shalott (Default)

[personal profile] havocthecat 2008-12-08 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Uh, please don't take this the wrong way, but if Sam gets the ATA gene and naquadah in the bloodstream, I think you're edging dangerously close to Samantha Sue territory. OTOH, something dealing with the ATA therapy and Sam, done well, would be awesome.

(We all know I love Sam, right? I mean, we're not thinking this is me pulling out some previously-hidden Sam-hating card, I hope.)

[identity profile] ultranos-fic.livejournal.com 2008-12-08 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I know. I'm very leery of making the ATA gene work in Sam. I just wanted numbers. If anything, I'd say that it COULD have worked in her, but the inclusion of naquadah makes her blood/body chemistry so fucking bizarre that it DOESN'T.

Her NOT getting the gene also means that I can do "whatever the hell I want" in terms of "Sam thinks that having only 10 people on Atlantis who can actually use a Jumper is a epically stupid tactical situation. And goes about trying to fix it."

(Yes, we do. :P)