The "Adrift" Pre-Airing Discussion/Speculation Thread .SPOILERS

[Darkwander]

Hmmm, I wonder...

They are floating in Space and ZPM's need Subspace to Charge, i wonder if Atlantis will be able to draw power from subspace while floating in space, it couldnt have done it before because they were on the planet and they need to be in space.

[Copernicus]

Currently, Atlantis has 24 hours of power left before its shield shuts down and our heroes all die. At this time, there are two "outs" for the team that do not involve a deus ex machina (like Carter or Ford randomly showing up):

1. They get more power to use the hyperdrive.
2. They recalibrate the gate to dial out.

I find the second option far more plausible than the first. The personnel in the city has already been reduced to the minimum numbers required. If they can recalibrate the gate to dial even one other planet, the can take the jumpers from there. They can stick Weir in stasis (Before I Sleep), and possible even get the jumpers some hyperspace travel (Tao of Rodney). More importantly, they can slowly depressurize the city so that when the shield goes down the city is left completely intact, albeit it drifting in the middle of nowhere.

From there, the first part of season four could be about finding a power source (much like the season one that so many are fond of) so they can get back to the city. They would not be able to dial earth (no ZPM) and earth would not be able to dial them (the Atlantis gate isn`t fully recalibrated). Basically, you have the team living out of jumpers for the first part. They could make contact with the Athosians again or even the Genii, which would allow for a couple of episodes with the team looking for help but having no one able to give it to them.

From there, I would imagine you could have the team run across the Apollo, but have Ellis have orders to consider the city lost and return the team to earth. The team, unwilling to give up on Weir and their home, would refuse and escape, which would in turn require Ellis to pursue them as a sort of Jean Valjean character: not evil, but understandably dislikable.

As Ellis fails to capture our heroes, have him recalled to earth and replaced by Carter who will be commanding a different ship. In the same episode, have the team secure a power source and return to the city. Weir, who has now been gone for five or six episodes, is revived, but the team is still wanted by earth for disobeying direct orders. Colonel Carter arrives at the city, well aware that it does not have enough power to put up a fight, but she has been followed by either the Wraith or the Asurans, who destroy her ship but hesitate to attack Atlantis as Weir bluffs them into thinking they are far more able to defend themselves than they really are. Carter and her crew are now marooned on Atlantis.

From there, you can continue on with a normal season.

[ussrelativity]

I like the idea of using jumpers as close quarters, and for mainstream exploration for another ZPM. I still wonder how the Daedalus would fit in.

[Astrofighter]

eh, that would be a huge reset and i dont see it happening

we have two ships dedicated to the pegasus galaxy

plus there is the gate network, as soon as rodney were to get any gate working he would be able to access it and get back to earth, plus on top of that amanda tapping is going to be in at least 14 episodes...she has to get there some how

[ussrelativity]

eh, that would be a huge reset and i dont see it happening

we have two ships dedicated to the pegasus galaxy

plus there is the gate network, as soon as rodney were to get any gate working he would be able to access it and get back to earth, plus on top of that amanda tapping is going to be in at least 14 episodes...she has to get there some how

Maybe she comes in a Puddle-Jumper!

[Copernicus]

eh, that would be a huge reset and i dont see it happening

we have two ships dedicated to the pegasus galaxy

plus there is the gate network, as soon as rodney were to get any gate working he would be able to access it and get back to earth, plus on top of that amanda tapping is going to be in at least 14 episodes...she has to get there some how

We currently have two ships. However, if earth decides to cut its losses with Atlantis, as I predicted, that is no longer the case.

I haven't thought about what to do with the midway station yet.

I already explained how Amanda Tapping would arrive.

[Sicktem]

If they can use the gate, they can dial Earth. If they can dial Earth they can get them to loan them their 2 ZPMs (assuming one wasn't destroyed in the Ori attack - I doubt both will be lost since 1 is always on Earth). From there it would take them a half hour to ship one over through the gatenetwork and that should hold them over until the Odyssey returns with the other. Once that's done they can use the power to continue on to their new planet and return Earth's ZPMs when they're done. I really doubt Earth would refuse their offer if they have them to spare (it's also possible one is being used in keeping Earth in another dimension so the Ori can't attack, but it would be pretty hard to explain a worldwide white light to people if they intend to keep the stargate program secret). Despite what has happened they still want to keep Atlantis if they can, but if they deem it necessary to protect Earth they have no problem sacrificing it. Yet this is not such a situation.

Now, if they can't dial the gate that means they either have to find a way to get enough power out of it to continue as you said in point #1 or they have to have the Apollo rescue them. If the Apollo rescues them all they have to do is take the ZPM and control crystal for activating the 8th chevon and they can contact Earth on any other planet and simply work out a way to borrow ZPMs that way. If doing so still does not yield enough power they can grab the ZPM that was powering the time dialation field in Epiphany and either return it when they're done or decide to keep it since Weir possibily isn't around to put morals first (now that the people living there are ascended they are bound by the Ancient's rules and cannot stop them without getting themselves into trouble).

[Detox]

Currently, Atlantis has 24 hours of power left before its shield shuts down and our heroes all die. At this time, there are two "outs" for the team that do not involve a deus ex machina (like Carter or Ford randomly showing up):

1. They get more power to use the hyperdrive.
2. They recalibrate the gate to dial out.

I find the second option far more plausible than the first. The personnel in the city has already been reduced to the minimum numbers required. If they can recalibrate the gate to dial even one other planet, the can take the jumpers from there. They can stick Weir in stasis (Before I Sleep), and possible even get the jumpers some hyperspace travel (Tao of Rodney). More importantly, they can slowly depressurize the city so that when the shield goes down the city is left completely intact, albeit it drifting in the middle of nowhere.

From there, the first part of season four could be about finding a power source (much like the season one that so many are fond of) so they can get back to the city. They would not be able to dial earth (no ZPM) and earth would not be able to dial them (the Atlantis gate isn`t fully recalibrated). Basically, you have the team living out of jumpers for the first part. They could make contact with the Athosians again or even the Genii, which would allow for a couple of episodes with the team looking for help but having no one able to give it to them.

From there, I would imagine you could have the team run across the Apollo, but have Ellis have orders to consider the city lost and return the team to earth. The team, unwilling to give up on Weir and their home, would refuse and escape, which would in turn require Ellis to pursue them as a sort of Jean Valjean character: not evil, but understandably dislikable.

As Ellis fails to capture our heroes, have him recalled to earth and replaced by Carter who will be commanding a different ship. In the same episode, have the team secure a power source and return to the city. Weir, who has now been gone for five or six episodes, is revived, but the team is still wanted by earth for disobeying direct orders. Colonel Carter arrives at the city, well aware that it does not have enough power to put up a fight, but she has been followed by either the Wraith or the Asurans, who destroy her ship but hesitate to attack Atlantis as Weir bluffs them into thinking they are far more able to defend themselves than they really are. Carter and her crew are now marooned on Atlantis.

From there, you can continue on with a normal season.

Your theory doesn't seem likely. Like someone already mentioned, that's more of a hard reset rather than a soft one.

From what I can tell, Atlantis will resume its normal operations by Episode 5. It'll probably find a new power source (Not a ZPM from Earth) in episode 3. And then reunite with Earth and add Carter to the cast in episode 4.

[Orion's Star]

From there, I would imagine you could have the team run across the Apollo, but have Ellis have orders to consider the city lost and return the team to earth. The team, unwilling to give up on Weir and their home, would refuse and escape, which would in turn require Ellis to pursue them as a sort of Jean Valjean character: not evil, but understandably dislikable.

As Ellis fails to capture our heroes, have him recalled to earth and replaced by Carter who will be commanding a different ship. In the same episode, have the team secure a power source and return to the city. Weir, who has now been gone for five or six episodes, is revived, but the team is still wanted by earth for disobeying direct orders. Colonel Carter arrives at the city, well aware that it does not have enough power to put up a fight, but she has been followed by either the Wraith or the Asurans, who destroy her ship but hesitate to attack Atlantis as Weir bluffs them into thinking they are far more able to defend themselves than they really are. Carter and her crew are now marooned on Atlantis.

From there, you can continue on with a normal season.

A normal season? Please explain to me how those who were left behind on Atlantis and are now on the run could possibly return to Earth, why they would be allowed to stay in a newly recovered Atlantis, and why they would not be in jail (especially the military personnel), after going rogue, disobeying orders, and ruining any shred of credibility or trust that those on Earth might have with them. Suspension of disbelief can only go so far, but when you go to the length of having someone chase them down and capture them because they no longer accept the authority of their superiors (both military and civilian), there is not much you can do from there.

[J_B]

I don't think they'll abaondon it & put Weir in stasis. They said at current power levels, they only had 24 hours left. Therefore at the end of it no life support, no shields or whatever.

What I see them doing is finding out that the Stardrive shut down because of a safety measure. It detected dangerously low levels of power, so shut itself down automatically to save on power.

McKay will eventually figure out how to override this safety protocol. Get the SD fired back up. That drains power much quicker. It gets them to their original destination within a few hours. However just as they get there, the ZPM conks out & goes dead.

The other out I can see is that the Apollo finds them, then tows them back into HS to their new home.

If it were me in charge, I'd shake it up totally!

I would let them lose Atlantis to the Wraith or to a lesser extent the Asurans. They lose the city for at least half a season, so are forced to gate to the planet that has the sister city on it. They use that as their new base of operations. That makes them start from scratch again, working to repair the damaged city, get it working, as well as their ultimate goal to re-capture Atlantis back from their enemies.

Meanwhile after Earth learns of them losing Atlantis, they call back all 304's for defensive postitions incase of an impending Wraith attack on the MW. The IOA decides that the SGA expedition members are expendable & that's it's in the best interests to leave them for dead.

Such a scenario cuts out the regular contact with Earth, it takes out the 304's & their beaming tech. It leaves them in a brand new already severely damaged city. They are without power, not knowing what's going on around them.

It allows them to take it from the begiining again & start adding the dread factor back into eps. However I don't think they'd ever be bold enough to take steps.

That's why I see them sorting Atlantis out in the very 1st ep. While the second one will be some sort of operation to get them a new ZPM or power source.

A few eps in, Carter will arrive & they'll take it from there.

[Ace]

I like that idea... I wish they would use it, but I don't see it happening.

Ace

[Avenger]

They can't dial the gate because there is no origin point. That's just not going to happen.

[Copernicus]

A normal season? Please explain to me how those who were left behind on Atlantis and are now on the run could possibly return to Earth, why they would be allowed to stay in a newly recovered Atlantis, and why they would not be in jail (especially the military personnel), after going rogue, disobeying orders, and ruining any shred of credibility or trust that those on Earth might have with them. Suspension of disbelief can only go so far, but when you go to the length of having someone chase them down and capture them because they no longer accept the authority of their superiors (both military and civilian), there is not much you can do from there.

I've already stated they would be cut off from earth. The question then becomes if earth is willing to muster the force necessary to take Atlantis by force from their own people. I think it is reasonable to assume that the IOA would cut its losses at that point, despite possible objections from military brass, especially considering that earth won't know Atlantis' gate address and the expedition will not be likely to dial earth given what they have done.

They can't dial the gate because there is no origin point. That's just not going to happen.

Tell that to the gate bridge and Baal's attempt to start his own network of Stargates. It's not impossible; it merely requires some reprogramming, and McKay already has experience doing so in the aforementioned gate bridge incident.

As for the gate bridge, and I recognize this requires some suspension of disbelief, I say that they trying dialing it up, but that one the links in the chains has been knocked of course for any number of reasons, which in turn causes them to spit out early. As such, they have to turn around and head back to Pegasus.

A hard reset would be retconning the show. This does not change any of the past events, so I still consider it a reset.

[Sicktem]

They can't dial the gate because there is no origin point. That's just not going to happen.

Actually there is an origin point, they just don't know what it is because Mckay does not know where exactly they are (they're lost). Mckay made this very clear when explaining the situation to Telya and so all he has to do is somehow pinpoint their location and they can dial away. The only thing that they didn't make clear is why Atlantis' sensors cannot tell them where they are for them, but I suppose they will expand on it in the next episode.

[Copernicus]

Actually there is an origin point, they just don't know what it is because Mckay does not know where exactly they are (they're lost). Mckay made this very clear when explaining the situation to Telya and so all he has to do is somehow pinpoint their location and they can dial away. The only thing that they didn't make clear is why Atlantis' sensors cannot tell them where they are for them, but I suppose they will expand on it in the next episode.

Exactly, so divert the remaining power to powering the sensors (say cut their time in half), prepare to leave, and either hook up a naquadah reactor or divert the rest of the power to that stasis chamber.