"letters from pegasus" wraith beam

[Barnzy]

i watched a rerun of the episode "letters from pegasus" which i think is a episode in season 1. anyway during the episode a great big blue beam hit a planet while a culling was taking place. does anyone know the purpose of this beam. i havnt been able to find a screencap to further explain this beam thing. thanks for the answers that im sure will be coming

[P-90_177]

this question has been asked many many times. there are a fair number of explanations rangeing from a sort of transporter device, a weapon to just tagging the planet.

personally i have no idea what it was for. it's kinda strange.

[Calhoun]

I believe the writers have said it was a marker, similar to the one Bates saw being dropped on the Alpha Site in "The Gift".

In that episode, Sheppard mentions seeing a similar device before, presumably in "Letters from Pegasus"; he says the Wraith are "tagging" the planet (presumably, to mark it as culled, and possibly to detect if any humans return to the planet via the gate).

Of course, when I first watched "Letters from Pegasus", I was hoping it would be some cool new Wraith weapon, but it looks like my hopes have been dashed.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

Tagging the planet to say its being culled would make sense. Humans are the Wraith's food source, they need to leave enough on a planet to make sure the species is sustainable.

Although if it is a 'harvested planet marker' we should see it more often, there should have been one on Athos in Atlantis Rising, although its possible that there was but we just didnt see it!

I don't think it was a weapon as such, Wraith don't really want to kill their only food source(until they feed on them ). It could act as a sort of lure, to attract humans to it making culling easier.

Shep wanted to check it out, but that could have just been natural curiosity! Although if it is the beam that is attracting Shep, why didn't it have any effect on Teyla?

ORIN’S PLANET. The Wraith Dart attack continues. Suddenly a solid white beam shoots up into the sky from the surface of the planet somewhere inside the village. In the Puddlejumper, John and Teyla stare.
SHEPPARD: What is that?
TEYLA: I have never seen such a thing.
SHEPPARD: I’ll go and check it out. (He gets up and starts to walk towards the rear of the ship. Teyla grabs his arm.)
TEYLA: You may be discovered.
SHEPPARD: I’ll make a point not to.
TEYLA: Major ...
SHEPPARD: I just wanna see what ...

[Mister Oragahn]

Going against what the writers think, but have never confirmed on the show, I considered that this beam sucked the geothermal energy of the planet.

Otherwise, it's a stupiddly complicated device just to tag a planet.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

Could be a way to communicate the location of the village to the Hive ships... although if they have already dropped the 'locator beam' (if thats what it is) then they already know where it is!

[Prior_of_the_Ori]

Sticking with the 'tag' idea; its possible that such a device would inform the Wraith of any more Humans on the world and tell other Hives to back off from their find. I mean we know they are territorial so they might not be willing to share culling grounds even before the civil war.

[Mister Oragahn]

All those locator and tag thingies don't make sense. The Wraith use probes, which can even send data back into space or through stargates. The beam, as a tag machine, would obviously be extremely crappy btw, considering how people can evade the Wraith even when a culling is executed.

You want to tag a planet? Blast a one kilometer wide crater and carve the symbol of your tribe with a laser down there. Yes, that is what I call a tag.
Or place one single orbital probe that bleeps and dips every once in a while, just to survey your preys. It's not like they have anything that can shoot down your satellite. And if it does get downed, then you know something's changed on that planet.

[Prior_of_the_Ori]

All those locator and tag thingies don't make sense. The Wraith use probes, which can even send data back into space or through stargates. The beam, as a tag machine, would obviously be extremely crappy btw, considering how people can evade the Wraith even when a culling is executed.

You want to tag a planet? Blast a one kilometer wide crater and carve the symbol of your tribe with a laser down there. Yes, that is what I call a tag.
Or place one single orbital probe that bleeps and dips every once in a while, just to survey your preys. It's not like they have anything that can shoot down your satellite. And if it does get downed, then you know something's changed on that planet.

Probes have to be sent and return for them to be effective but a 'tag' that could possibly be be beamed underground could send a signal to the Wraith should anything come on the planet.

And technically an orbital satellite can be shot down, not by the inhabitants but by some civilization with space craft which is rare but known to happen; especially with the Atlantis Expedition around. Or worse yet, a rival hive that blows it up and takes the world.

[Heaven]

the way it worked kinda reminded me of the tollan long range communicator thing only way bigger
maybe it sent a galaxy wide signal to all the hive ships out there

[Mister Oragahn]

Probes have to be sent and return for them to be effective...

No. Probes can send signals. Damn, even a necklace can send a signal and act as an ancient scanner.

... but a 'tag' that could possibly be be beamed underground could send a signal to the Wraith should anything come on the planet.

A cheap probe or beacon, underground, parked on the ground or floating in space would do the exact same thing, without the expense of a CGI blue beam of pure awesomeness.

And technically an orbital satellite can be shot down, not by the inhabitants but by some civilization with space craft which is rare but known to happen;

If it happens, you know there's a problem there, and you dispatch ships.
Thus far, we're talking about a device which has been used for ages, well before the Tau'ri arrived in Pegasus.

... especially with the Atlantis Expedition around. Or worse yet, a rival hive that blows it up and takes the world.

And the rival hive tags the planet with its own beam. How does that solve the problem, huh?

Even more, why would a rival tribe even care about a tag?

[Prior_of_the_Ori]

[QUOTE=Mister Oragahn;7173963]No. Probes can send signals. Damn, even a necklace can send a signal and act as an ancient scanner.

And have they ever demonstrated it being done with a probe? That planet where the people live in an EM shield had a probe sent, it didnt sent a signal though; it had to go through the gate. Similarly, on Sateda, the Hiveships had to be in orbit for a signal to be sent unless there are some kind of transmission station around like the ones that picked up the necklace Teyla had.

A cheap probe or beacon, underground, parked on the ground or floating in space would do the exact same thing, without the expense of a CGI blue beam of pure awesomeness.

Beyond expensive CGI, they both serve the same purpose so whats the point choosing one over the other? Not saying I agree with TPTB for using a blue beam, I'm just providing possible in-universe reasons for a blue beam thats a tag.

And the rival hive tags the planet with its own beam. How does that solve the problem, huh?

Even more, why would a rival tribe even care about a tag?

Perhaps its an even more technological version then blowing a crater on the surface of a planet that says 'This planet belongs to Hive John'. Simply saying that an unknown world belongs to a certain Hive and that others should back off from it.

And a rival Hive might not want to provoke the owner of the world? I'm just providing possible explanations here but we know that Wraith are territorial even before the civil war so their territory being known to the others would prevent others from moving in or otherwise risk fighting the owners of that patch of dirt.

[Mister Oragahn]

And have they ever demonstrated it being done with a probe? That planet where the people live in an EM shield had a probe sent, it didnt sent a signal though; it had to go through the gate. Similarly, on Sateda, the Hiveships had to be in orbit for a signal to be sent unless there are some kind of transmission station around like the ones that picked up the necklace Teyla had.

These were small probes, and they were already good. But I'm talking about using something slightly bigger, precisely meant to send data back. the first dart to scout Atlantis actually scanned it and sent data back.

Besides, just how a planet is supposed to send a signal, huh?

Beyond expensive CGI, they both serve the same purpose so whats the point choosing one over the other? Not saying I agree with TPTB for using a blue beam, I'm just providing possible in-universe reasons for a blue beam thats a tag.

Because that blue beam of something is just over complicated for what it's supposed to be, or do, that is, say hello, this place is already owned. As I said, a simple beacon would be plenty enough and wouldn't require all the complex hardware necessary to generate a blue beam... which actually starts from the ground if you watch closely.

Perhaps its an even more technological version then blowing a crater on the surface of a planet that says 'This planet belongs to Hive John'. Simply saying that an unknown world belongs to a certain Hive and that others should back off from it.

Intellectually speaking, yes, it's supposed to be that, a tag. However, it's bother over complex and unimpressive in the end.
I say it's much cooler to think that this beam is actually used to syphon a planet of its energy.
That would be a good reason to use something as complicated as that beam, and would fit with the Wraith mytho.
Even more since nothing is canonically fixed - which is impressive considering that we're entering year 4 and nothing has been said about it.

And a rival Hive might not want to provoke the owner of the world? I'm just providing possible explanations here but we know that Wraith are territorial even before the civil war so their territory being known to the others would prevent others from moving in or otherwise risk fighting the owners of that patch of dirt.

Not disputing that. I'm disputing the method they supposedly use.

[Prior_of_the_Ori]

These were small probes, and they were already good. But I'm talking about using something slightly bigger, precisely meant to send data back. the first dart to scout Atlantis actually scanned it and sent data back.

All I can say for the tag argument is that such a thing would prevent other Wraith hives from approaching the world by recognising such a tag and saying 'Guess we must go to the next world then' type thing. Not exactly a solid argument but thats the only other thing I could think of... I mean such probes would not be easily detected if they were present on a planet and a rival Hive might already be half way through a culling before seeing it possibly. Though this kind of drifts into 'complexity or simplicity' argument below.

Besides, just how a planet is supposed to send a signal, huh?

I always wondered whether it was a complex beaming mechanism to leave a beacon underground after which the beam would have stopped. Nothing confirming that though but some form of tag underground would be a secure method of tagging a world as no one, unless they dug, could take out such a thing.

Because that blue beam of something is just over complicated for what it's supposed to be, or do, that is, say hello, this place is already owned. As I said, a simple beacon would be plenty enough and wouldn't require all the complex hardware necessary to generate a blue beam... which actually starts from the ground if you watch closely.

Not disputing that, TPTB however decided to go with the complex beam of doom without touching it again. A better clarification within the episode might have been more useful but from what we have seen, it is a tag as Sheppard said it and Bates I think mentioned that they dropped a similar 'device' during their search for a new Alpha Site.

Intellectually speaking, yes, it's supposed to be that, a tag. However, it's bother over complex and unimpressive in the end.
I say it's much cooler to think that this beam is actually used to syphon a planet of its energy.
That would be a good reason to use something as complicated as that beam, and would fit with the Wraith mytho.
Even more since nothing is canonically fixed - which is impressive considering that we're entering year 4 and nothing has been said about it.

Perhaps we might find out in season 4, slim hope though but would clarify things but meh.

[tendomentis]

I'd pose an interesting theory that the Wraith technology developed in the same way that the Wraith themselves did. The Wraith evolved to survive by drawing the "life force" from another being (human, it seems, is all they'll eat), it isn't that far-fetched to presume that their technology sustains itself in a similar fashion.

The beam was just WAY too much energy to "tag" the planet when they could have just kicked an orbiting probe out the back door of the hive ship that broadcasts "just culled". We already know that their ships aren't powered or operated like other human-races technology. They don't have shields, for example, and they have to drop out of hyperspace frequently so the ship can "heal" itself.

Aside from the obvious Gaia-force possibility, maybe the beam was a way for the hive ship to recharge itself from the abundant angular momentum of the planet. That's just one idea, and I won't bore you with the rest of my crazy ideas, but the point is that maybe we should be trying to think of the Wraith's technology like the Wraiths themselves.