Wormhole Drive

[LordBawb]

As seen in the last episode of the fifth season of StarGate: Atlantis, the Ancients came up with a drive, much like a hyperdrive-stargate combination, that sends a ship through a wormhole MUCH faster than a hyperdrive could.

So... Why don't they just send Atlantis to Destiny? I mean... it might take a few jumps with the wormhole drive to get there, but since it's instantaneous travel, it would take a matter of minutes (if the drive didn't require recharging).

Also, why don't they utilize this new drive on the Hammond or other Earth vessels?

I understand from the episode mentioned that the drive requires EXACT calculations and whatnot, but I'm sure Carter and/or McKay could do that. . . Or even Eli. I wish they had used this technology somewhere in SGU, but it's never mentioned after S05E20 of Atlantis.

[Gatefan1976]

There is a good reason why Deux Ex Machina drive is never mentioned again..............

[escyos]

1. They don't have the power.
2. It is very dangerous to use.
3. I imagine that the longer the distance the greater the chance of it going wrong.
4. What happens if the drive burns out when you get there?

[Energizer_Vs_ZPM]

the drive requires EXACT calculations and whatnot, but I'm sure Carter and/or McKay could do that. . . Or even Eli.

Or simply an automated computer thats hooked up to it. Put in where you want to go, the computer works out the power requirements and opens the wormhole.

The trouble is though the same thing as the 9th chevron needs: Power.

[Energizer_Vs_ZPM]

The only real way I could see this actually working is for the Atlantis team to discover that Atlantis can also draw power from stars. At that point they could perhaps go sundiving with the great city (sheesh imagine how that would look!) and then open a wormhole but again it would have the same risk that destiny suffered.

I suppose to counter that atlantis could have some sort of super capacitors to store the energy, emerge from the star into normal space and then create the wormhole..

[nathan MCD]

The only real way I could see this actually working is for the Atlantis team to discover that Atlantis can also draw power from stars. At that point they could perhaps go sundiving with the great city (sheesh imagine how that would look!) and then open a wormhole but again it would have the same risk that destiny suffered.

I suppose to counter that atlantis could have some sort of super capacitors to store the energy, emerge from the star into normal space and then create the wormhole..

Atlantis is supposedly several million years of technological advances ahead of destiny in the ancients timeline so this could be possible.

[DigiFluid]

There is a good reason why Deux Ex Machina drive is never mentioned again..............

[Xaeden]

It seems unlikely that they would have the power requirements to create two city sized wormholes to the other side of the universe considering that they seem unable to power a much smaller wormhole to the other side of the universe with ZPMs. However, even if that wasn't the case, why would they risk sending their Ancient city ship, the most significant and important discovery that Earth has come across, to rescue a few dozen people? The city still contains scientific secrets in its many laboratories and facilities/equipment that are crucial to their research into the Ancient database. Plus, it has very advanced defensive/offensive capabilities that make it both an ideal off-world base and an ideal complement to a planet's existing defenses. Risking all of that to protect Earth is one thing, but I don't see why in the world they would want to risk something going wrong that would either lead to Atlantis being destroyed or stranded on the other side of the universe for a few people and technology that, while more advanced than Earth tech, is not more advanced than the city they would be putting in danger.

Now, if they can learn to replicate the drive and install it into a 304 then that's a different matter as a 304 can actually be replaced. But, just because they have access to a piece of experimental technology that is millions of years beyond anything they could create, doesn't mean they would be able to instantly replicate and adapt it. I'm sure one of their priorities is to study the technology as, even ignoring the Destiny and its crew, such a drive would give them a huge tactical advantage. So perhaps in time they'll be able to figure something out, but it's not going to happen overnight.

[garhkal]

I'd be shocked if they could even figure out how to make the drive work for other ancient ships, let alone copy it for NON ancient ships... BUT the biggest issue is power. That one jump from near the edge of our own galaxy to earth taxed the trio of ZPMs we had.. So think of going 17+ galaxies out to the destiny?? WE'd probabily drain 5 times that much..

[Aesop]

I think it's safe to say it'd be plain impossible. Like Xaeden mentioned, we couldn't even power a regular planetary gate to Destiny's location with a ZPM, we had to use a Naquadriah core. I simply don't think the kind of power needed would be available, even with a fully-charged array of ZPM's. Unfortunately, I would think "sundiving" wouldn't be an option either since the star itself would affect the wormhole the same as it has in other cases ("1969", "Common Descent") so if we tried to use Atlantis in the same manner as Destiny we'd probably end up throwing the city a billion light years in the wrong direction.

Honestly I think the only viable option would be to find another planet like the one Icarus was built on, plug Atlantis' grid into the core and then use it's ability to dial Destiny to ferry the modules for a Supergate on through. Yeah, the second gate's modules were too big, but the first one's came by a way of a normal Stargate. I'm sure between Atlantis' database and the Asgard core the Tau'ri could come up with a way to create their own Supergate modules.

[garhkal]

Honestly I think the only viable option would be to find another planet like the one Icarus was built on, plug Atlantis' grid into the core and then use it's ability to dial Destiny to ferry the modules for a Supergate on through. Yeah, the second gate's modules were too big, but the first one's came by a way of a normal Stargate. I'm sure between Atlantis' database and the Asgard core the Tau'ri could come up with a way to create their own Supergate modules.

Didn't the supergate modules from Beachhead grow to full size though after passing through the gate? Not enough came through to 'join up' and make those big side pieces.. And since the Ori were powering the gate on their side, i could see them using some sort of reduction tech (or their own powers) on teh gate pieces but as soon as they materialized through the gate they grew back to regular size.

BUT if they do get Atlantis hooked up to another "Icarus", i suggest rather than putting "gate pieces' Through, they do as much of a tech refresh as possible, including dozens of naquida generators.

[Gen. Chris]

For one, I don't think they would actually be able to pinpoint the location of Destiny. It wasn't like jumping Atlantis to the Milky Way...They knew exactly where to send it. Destiny is billions of light years from home, likely far out of the way of calculating an accurate jump. Think of it as the "Beyond the red line" FTL jumps in Battlestar Galactica...they could do it, but it becomes more and more difficult to calculate an accurate distance/location. But all of this isn't even taking into account that the power requirements in the show would make the entire trek unlikely.

But, even if all of that wasn't an issue...Would Earth really sacrifice the most powerful ship in its fleet (the city itself) on a possibly futile expedition to rescue a mere eighty people? Hell, even a million people stranded on Destiny wouldn't be worth the possible loss of Atlantis.

[Energizer_Vs_ZPM]

But, even if all of that wasn't an issue...Would Earth really sacrifice the most powerful ship in its fleet (the city itself) on a possibly futile expedition to rescue a mere eighty people? Hell, even a million people stranded on Destiny wouldn't be worth the possible loss of Atlantis.

Earth wouldn't need to send Atlantis. Just dig up Piramesse (thats what I've named the buried city ship in the tower - based on a egyptian lost city lol). Send a ton of excavation equipment there, dig up the soil layer by layer until the city is uncovered, repair it and then send that instead of atlantis.

[Gen. Chris]

Earth wouldn't need to send Atlantis. Just dig up Piramesse (thats what I've named the buried city ship in the tower - based on a egyptian lost city lol). Send a ton of excavation equipment there, dig up the soil layer by layer until the city is uncovered, repair it and then send that instead of atlantis.

Even if they COULD repair it, it would still be more valuable to keep it. Rescuing those eighty people isn't worth the possible loss of any ship at all. I know it sounds harsh but that's kind of how it is.

[Mnikolic]

They don't actually need a Wormhole drive really. I believe if the series would go on, Rush would find a lab and with the help of Eli and Brody, he would find info about how to fix the ship and ensure a two-way gating between Earth and Destiny. It could be revealed that the resources the crew needs to bring the ship to its full capacity is located either of Earth or on Mars and Gen. O'Neill would send an SG team to revocer the resources. Earth gains the capability of dialing the 9th chevron without the necessity of an Icarus planet and with the help of various crew members via the communication stones and Telford himself, Homeworld Command is finally able to make a more accurate blueprint of the ship and send a trained SG team trough, whcih ends up working with the crew in fixing of the ship's damaged parts. Eventually, more labs and work stations are uncovered and in one of them, the crew finds a component which makes Destiny be able to dial the 9th chevron while re-charging inside a star. Down the road, even more components are revealed which are needed for Destiny to operate at its full capacity, which enables the ship to complete its mission and send the crew back home.