Thirty Eight Minutes (104)

[Anthro Girl]

Sounds awfully convenient, but I guess it could be the equivalent of pepper spray in human eyes. *sigh* Dunno why I bother researching this stuff, everyone just keeps shooting down whatever I find...

I'm just crossing my fingers hoping that all that talk about "saltwater" possibly maybe sort of being an Achilles' heel is bunk. I've already seen [that movie] and I hated it..

[NurseRatched]

Y'all are assuming that the FunkyAlienBug <tm> was feeding off Shep's blood; I don't necessarily agree with that. In "Rising" Queen Marilyn used her nasty manicure to kill Colonel Sumner (and sure, he had punctures on his chest, and yes, they were bleeding) - but he wasn't bleeding to death when Shep shot him, right? He looked old, really old.

OK. Assuming that FunkyAlienBug shares some physiology with the Wraith, it wouldn't need blood on which to feed - just a living person/animal. I think it somehow extracts "life energy" from its victim in the form of ATP - adenosine triphosphate - the biological molecule which enables cellular energy to be transported and easily utilized.

When a person moves, breathes, exists, ATP is being used. When ATP runs out, life can no longer be supported. What better reason for FunkyAlienBug to immobilize its victims? Less movement = more ATP stores.

(Disclaimer - I'm not proposing that depleted ATP alone would make a person seem to age 50 years in less than a minute - I defer that issue to Queen Marilyn. Oh, she's dead. Never mind.)

The whole "bug on the neck" think is probably a convenient (and visually captivating) portal for FAB to a) deliver the venom/neurotoxin, and b) make sure it can't be easily removed (nasty pincer things close to major blood vessels, nasty legs around the throat).

You also don't necessarily need to have a bite/sting/whatever into a major blood vessel to effectively introduce a neurotoxin. Case in point - Australia's own blue-ringed octopus. Cool, but lethal critters.

[ShadowMaat]

Even if it was feeding off his life-force, it had some kind of proboscis thing stuck into him, didn't it? Or maybe that bit of it is immune to the salt.

[Anthro Girl]

Just rewatched it. Still smiling.

I loved the "cling on" joke and everybody's (especially Beckett's) reaction. Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I did, however, skip through the Halling/Weir scene. It went on for far too long, and I don't mean from the point of view of directing. I'm sure there will be more on that particular pair's interaction as we go along.

[kiwigater]

Y'all are assuming that the FunkyAlienBug <tm> was feeding off Shep's blood; I don't necessarily agree with that. In "Rising" Queen Marilyn used her nasty manicure to kill Colonel Sumner (and sure, he had punctures on his chest, and yes, they were bleeding) - but he wasn't bleeding to death when Shep shot him, right? He looked old, really old.

OK. Assuming that FunkyAlienBug shares some physiology with the Wraith, it wouldn't need blood on which to feed - just a living person/animal. I think it somehow extracts "life energy" from its victim in the form of ATP - adenosine triphosphate - the biological molecule which enables cellular energy to be transported and easily utilized.

When a person moves, breathes, exists, ATP is being used. When ATP runs out, life can no longer be supported. What better reason for FunkyAlienBug to immobilize its victims? Less movement = more ATP stores.

(Disclaimer - I'm not proposing that depleted ATP alone would make a person seem to age 50 years in less than a minute - I defer that issue to Queen Marilyn. Oh, she's dead. Never mind.)

The whole "bug on the neck" think is probably a convenient (and visually captivating) portal for FAB to a) deliver the venom/neurotoxin, and b) make sure it can't be easily removed (nasty pincer things close to major blood vessels, nasty legs around the throat).

You also don't necessarily need to have a bite/sting/whatever into a major blood vessel to effectively introduce a neurotoxin. Case in point - Australia's own blue-ringed octopus. Cool, but lethal critters.

Good grief! Seeing as I'm ~6mths away from a PhD in Biochemistry I just HAD to respond to this.... (it's like my own personal bait! ).

OK, first time I've seen ATP mentioned on the forum!!! LOL See, now you've got me thinking about whether this is actually possible.....

I'm thinking that unless the FunkyAlienBug (FAB! LMAO ) has processes that delved into every single cell in the body, this just doesn't make sense. First off, ATP doesn't just float about the place, its very tightly regulated, and secondly, even if you depleted every molecule of ATP you wouldn't age 50 years - after all this is essentially what cyanide does - brings the electron transport chain to a screaming halt, but your cells will keep doing what they do until they run out of ATP - and you end up dead

You're right, there is nothing to say the FAB was taking blood, after all, there was suprisingly little blood after they finally detached the thing, and if it was hooked into his carotid unless it was a very regulated eater the pressure of arterial blood should have blown it up like a balloon.
*contemplative look*
I guess it could have been feeding off the electrical energy of the body - makes sense if it's like the wraith. Still doesn't answer the whole aging thing... but then as your sig so eloquently says "we suspend out disbelief and we are entertained"

*kiwigater wanders off to find a life... *

[greytop]

umm i think solt doesn't bother bug from the inside of his...'stomach'?...it's the puter 'skin' that's vanulable...and when it's damaged it sucks more blood out of Sheppard to regenerate faster

The bug may have an emzye to neturalize the saltwater so it can feed without harming itself.
The thought of this gave me an idea. Since Sheppard died and then brought back to life, his immune system will have a chance to build up a immunity to the bug emzye and he will be immune to the Wraith also, since the bug is related to them.

[airdish]

Did anyone else notice the Weir/Shepard interaction?

At first I thought it was my imagination, but then it seemed that Weir was more concerned for Shepard then she should've been. Then Shepard wanted to talk to her when he thought that he was going to die, and later wouldn't tell what he was going to say.

I think Shepard was going to say that they should learn about the bug because it might lead to a way to kill the Wraith. Then at the end he just said what he thought Weir wanted to hear.

[zen.monki]

Shadow:
I'm with you... if it turns out the bug-bane is salt and / or water, it doesn't make sense to me either.

GreyTop:
I like the concept of Sheppard becoming immune. Kind of like Carter's exposure to Jolinar opening up some story-possibilities.

[ShadowMaat]

Immune? Bah. Where's the fun in that? Much more interesting to have it slowly alter his DNA so that he becomes a Wraith! Maybe that's what all the drone-warriors are...

[aschen]

This ep. got kind of boring after a while.

[Z_2]

Don't we have salt and water in our bodies? Do you think there has to be a certain concentration of salt to affect the TickWraith or possibly the Wraith also? Or else we wouldn't be too "agreeable" as Wraith food.

But- maybe there's a certain method they learn in their book, "How to Serve Man"...

[GhostPoet]

Best SGA episode yet.
I'm really starting to get a feel for the characters now...this episode really fleshes them out more. All of the actors did well...and I enjoyed the stressful interaction between Weir and that nerd with the ponytail. Conflict is always a good thing to make a character grow stronger.

[Tokraed]

To get back to the point I think someone else was making- and forgive me for being a little slow (slower than usual), but if the bug hates salt/water, why was it drinking Shep's blood? Or, at least, it was doing something to him. I was thinking more of the wraith, but the bugs definitely shouldn't like humans if they have an aversion to salt.

from the straightdope.com website:

The above quote is part of an answer to the question What would happen if you drank seawater? and while it isn't entirely relevant to the conversation, it does have some interesting things to say about salt... and about seawater, which is what surrounds Atlantis.

I didn't pay too much attention to the application of the salt and the water. But, I read this site and came up with the following possibilities.

1. If the human body's blood contains saltwater but drinking saltwater from the oceans kills us [per the above article], then wouldn't an increased dosage of saltwater to the FAB [LOVE that abbreviation!] trigger an adverse reaction? The FAB did live on land and trap land creatures to live, so it had to be used to a certain percentage of salt from "ingestion" of it's prey.

2. The change in the ratio of saltwater to other minerals/chemicals in the human body might actually be poisonous to the FAB. Humans can take digitalis in small doses for medicinal purposes. In larger doses, it kills.

3. If the saltwater was applied more to the outside of the FAB, then it could act like iodine on an open wound to the more sensitive parts.

And, this last one has nothing to do with the saltwater stuff, but ...

I would've like to seen them try the chocolate on the FAB, too!! Could've worked. Chocolate is lethal to dogs. Of course, taking the chocolate from McKay and giving it to the FAB might've been just as lethal to the bug!

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

Arrrgh!!! FCOL! I HATE it when the forum eats my posts. (note to self: 'copy' all replies before clicking "submit" )

<sigh>Anyways....

Loved the ep.

I think RachetNursed suggestions for the Jumper kit are terrific!

FAB! LOVE it!

Think that the salt-water thing was plausible. The salt water was being applied to FAB's skin not into its digestive(?) system. Human stomachs safely hold hydroclhoric acid, yet one wouldn't want to have that slathered over an arm.

I don't have a quibble about any of the characters. Thought they all did very well in their respective roles. I do enjoy getting to see more people with important parts to play, for good or ill, on the show.

One thing I especially appreciate - are you listening, PTB? - is the sense of closure to the situations you are putting the cast through. Keep it up, PLEASE!

oops! remember to 'copy', now....

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

Oh, yeah, and another thing from my first post that I forgot to add (due to being distracted by irritation<grumble>)

I think this FAB may explain what happens in the next ep.

Just a Theory, Mind You, Spoilers for Suspicion












I wondered why Wraith dude let Sheppard be. We know that the Wraith use some form of telepathic communication; what if they can also communicate to a certain extent with lesser creatures?

What if FAB sucks more than just energy from its victim? What if it also gets mental images from them? The Wraith could use this info as a means to track "herd" movement.

Now, interestingly, Sheppard did not die. What if the venom secreted by FAB acts as a marker, attracting the attention of FABdom on whatever planet Sheppard vists that FABs happen to inhabit?

oops! remember to 'copy', now....