Ancient Control Chair
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the fictional television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, the Ancient Control Chair is an Ancient control device which functions as a mental interface for those with the Ancient gene. [1] The chair has been encountered on various Ancient outposts.
Contents |
[edit] Function
Control Chairs are mostly responsible for defense. All the control chairs thusfar encountered were used for launching Ancient Drone Weapons at enemy targets. The number of drones available can only be checked when the chair is powered up. [2] However, Aurora class battleships do not use control chairs to fire drones. [3]
Besides being used as a defense platform, the chair can also interface with holographic systems, allowing the user to project maps into the air [4], display information gathered by the sensors [5], cross-referencing information in the user's memory with existing information in the database, or even compensating maps for continental drift. [4] They can also be used to control Puddle Jumpers remotely. This however is not a designed function and controlling the drones of the Jumper is used to help fly the ship. [2] The chair can also be used to manage and control other Ancient systems such as power management with ZPMs. [6]
The Chair is normally powered by a Zero Point Module, although the members of the Atlantis Expedition have been successful in powering the device with a Mark II Naqahdah reactor in "controlled overload", which provides just enough energy to activate the chair although the reactor's power can only activate the chair about three times before permanent power depletion. [2]
[edit] Mental Interface
The chair is controlled directly by the user's thoughts. The device is hard to operate, and requires a considerable amount of concentration for most users. However, some people, like John Sheppard, can operate the unit intuitively, even without much practice. [1]
Not only is concentration instrumental in controlling the device, but the chair also requires (as does a lot of Ancient technology) the user to have the ATA gene, originally only found in Ancients. However, due to crossbreeding between Ancients who fled back to Earth and humans, several members of the Atlantis Expedition have the gene. [1] Also, using gene therapy, the gene can be transferred to "ordinary" humans. [7]
[edit] Encountered Chairs
In the Milky Way, the chairs have been encountered on Proclarush Taonas and inside the Ancient outpost in Antarctica on Earth. [4] In the Pegasus Galaxy, chairs are located in the tower of Atlantis [2] and it's sister cities. [5]
More recent Ancient outposts, such as the research base on the Dorandan homeworld, did not contain a control chair, indicating that by the Ancient retreat to Earth, the chair might have been replaced by more efficient control systems. [8]
[edit] Ori Chair
The Ori, being essentially the same race as the Ancients, also use control chairs to operate their battlecruisers. However, instead of requiring an ordinary human with the ATA Gene, this chair has to be operated by a Prior, and is probably keyed to their unique brain physiology. It has been demonstrated however that the Orici Adria, a human-form Ori, can also control the vessel without using the chair, most likely controlling it through telekinesis and telepathy.
Also, this type of chair is smaller and has no manual controls. The only encountered chair thus far was shaped into the symbol of Origin, the Ori religion, although this is probably only for cosmetic reasons. [9]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Rising" (Stargate Atlantis)
- ^ a b c d "The Siege" (Stargate Atlantis)
- ^ "No Man's Land" (Stargate Atlantis)
- ^ a b c "Lost City" (Stargate SG-1)
- ^ a b "The Tower" (Stargate Atlantis)
- ^ "Tao of Rodney" (Stargate Atlantis)
- ^ "Hide and Seek" (Stargate Atlantis)
- ^ "Trinity" (Stargate Atlantis)
- ^ "Counterstrike" (Stargate SG-1)
[edit] External links
- "Ancient Control Chair" at GateWorld Omnipedia.
| Technology in the Stargate universe | Edit | |
| Tau'ri | GDO | IDC | Stargate Iris | Kull Disruptor | P90 | MALP | The Seeker Project | Naqahdah Generator | Wraith retrovirus F-302 | Prometheus (BC-303) | Daedalus (BC-304)-class Battlecruiser |
 |
| Goa'uld/Tok'ra | Al'kesh | Death Glider | Ha'tak Mothership | Hand Device | Healing Device | Intar | Sarcophagus | Staff Weapon Tel'tak | TER | Tunnel Crystals | Zat | Zatarc detector |
|
| Ancient | Ancient City Ship | Ancient Control Chair | ATA Gene | Atlantis | Aurora-class Battleship | Dakara Weapon | DHD DNA Resequencer | Drone Weapon | Healing Device | Project Arcturus | Puddle Jumper | Repository of Knowledge Ring Transporter | Stargate | Time Dilation Device | Zero Point Module |
|
| Asgard | Beliskner-class ship | Daniel Jackson-class ship | O'Neill-class ship | Thor's Hammer | |
| Other | Wraith Dart | Wraith Hive-Ship | Supergate | Ori Battlecruiser | |
| Lists by race | All | Tau'ri | Ancient, Aschen, Asgard, Goa'uld, Ori, Tok'ra, Tollan, Wraith | Other | |
