Ancient Vessels (Spoilers for "First Contact")

[s09119]

Spoiler:

In "First Contact," when the alien assault ship approaches Atlantis, Sheppard orders the shield raised to keep it from entering the city. Almost immediately, though, this measure is proven useless as the unidentified craft can pass right through the barrier. As the crew looks on, stunned, we hear this:

SHEPPARD: That's impossible... nothing can get through the shield.
OFFICER: Ancient ships can do that.

This implies that Ancient craft can move in and out of shields rather easily... something we should have suspected by now. We've seen several examples of this;

- The puddle jumpers move through the Atlantis cityshield in "Adrift" to shoot down the asteroids.
- A jumper easily passes through the shield in "Lifeline" to hyperspace to Asuras.
- When the Apollo is taking fire over Asuras, a jumper passes through the Asgard shields and enters the docking bay.

So we know that Ancient ships (and this alien vessel, assuming it is also of Ancient design) have specialized hulls or some form of technology that allows them to pass through shields as though they didn't exist. What does this tell us? That an Aurora-class ship could simply stick its neck through the shield and begin firing a barrage of energy blasts into the city.

Atlantis is far more vulnerable than we'd been led to believe, especially versus any enemy with Ancient technology.

Thoughts?

[wkw427]

Yea, you are right, but shouldn't we be able to shoot things before they get close to the shield?

[s09119]

Yea, you are right, but shouldn't we be able to shoot things before they get close to the shield?

Yes, but in the case of "First Contact," there was no one in the chair to fire at the incoming ship in time. Though we should still have the railguns from "The Siege," so I don't know why those aren't being manned at all times.

[freyr's mother]

Why the hell wasnt that ship detected in hyperspace?

[s09119]

Why the hell wasnt that ship detected in hyperspace?

Can Atlantis even detect ships in hyperspace? The long-range sensors only picked up the Wraith in "The Brotherhood" because they kept dropping out of transit back into realspace.

[apollo22]

Spoiler:

i think that this new enemy was somehow created by Janus. they could have been a form of foot soldier for the ancients that the council shot down. now hear me out, they didn't come to fruition until we accidentally sent a signal or something from Janus's secret lab. it would also explain why they might have ancient ships and technology or at least some knowledge of it.

[freyr's mother]

Can Atlantis even detect ships in hyperspace? The long-range sensors only picked up the Wraith in "The Brotherhood" because they kept dropping out of transit back into realspace.

It looked like they were tracking them in real time. Deep space sensors would be pretty useless if they didnt work in hyperspace? I mean you have a ship here, "we've detected a ship 100ly out---oh wait, its gone.......damn hyperspace."

[Mister Oragahn]

Rising also featured a gateship flying through the shield.

[s09119]

Rising also featured a gateship flying through the shield.

Ah, very true. So just more evidence that they have some unique feature to Stargate.

[Crazy Tom]

Spoliers:

Spoiler:

Not Ancient

If you want to know more go serch it on you tube.

[s09119]

Spoliers:

Spoiler:

Not Ancient

If you want to know more go serch it on you tube.

I'm aware. But the craft could be of Ancient origin regardless.

[Crazy Tom]

I'm aware. But the craft could be of Ancient origin regardless.

It lacks the utilitarian Ancient "boxiness".

[Buba uognarf]

But...

Spoiler:

It looks even less Asgard than it does Ancient.

[Crazy Tom]

But...

Spoiler:

It looks even less Asgard than it does Ancient.

It's possible these dudes have been isolated rom the tresat for quite some time now, their technology seems less advanced, not having their entire's species resurces to draw upon and probably having evolved down diferent paths.

[Womble]

Yes, but in the case of "First Contact," there was no one in the chair to fire at the incoming ship in time.

Which raises the question: WHY THE HELL WAS THERE NO ONE AT THE CHAIR? I would've thought they'd keep their one defensive capability combat-ready 24/7/365. And why didn't Sheppard send someone to the chair or take it himself at the same time as he tried to summon the jumpers?

So we know that Ancient ships (and this alien vessel, assuming it is also of Ancient design) have specialized hulls or some form of technology that allows them to pass through shields as though they didn't exist. What does this tell us? That an Aurora-class ship could simply stick its neck through the shield and begin firing a barrage of energy blasts into the city.

Not unless that form of technology involves a friend-or-foe identification system.