Jack7
First Post
(Borrowed from the first SGU thread)
This was my basic assumption as well (relative temporal discontinuity), varying only in the details. For instance during the warm up segment the lights are shown activating throughout the ship. However the gate room, the one room in which one would expect the highest level of expectation to receive on-board crew, was not lit (until much later when Rush apparently activated power systems throughout the areas of the ship they have so far explored). Once everyone was through that room was completely dark, sans one control panel which Rush apparently activated and smiled when doing it as if he were expecting to encounter that situation. Why would the gate room be dark? Of all rooms it was the "expectation room," if the original intention still stood. I have some theories but I'm gonna wait and see.
Rush's entire set of actions, and I have tried to study him throughout these entitle episodes, seems to be of one who has not just studied ancient text references, but almost as if he were a man who had previously been in contact with the ship. Not in a technical communicative sense, but almost as if telepathically, or through visions. Or through some third party agency.
Also at the end of the third part of Air there was a detachable shuttle or small scout ship (as others have noted) released. As has been mentioned in previously in this thread I think this an important development. It could have possibly been:
1. One of the scout ships to develop more gate planets, but this seems unlikely because you would think those ships would operate independently and well forward of the advancing Destiny. Though Destiny could have it's own squadron of scout ships.
2. It could be a retrieval ship designed to rescue the crew members who had by gate transferred to another planet. Therefore it would be SAR vessel. In this case then it is either under the direction of Rush or the AI of the ship itself.
3. It could be an alien ship which had boarded the Destiny or had attempted boarding and then detached when unsuccessful. The interesting thing to me was that the design was definitely different to me than other ancient technologies, and therefore implied alien-ness. Of course the Destiny could have previously encountered such a ship and merely scavenged it for its own use. It would definitely make sense to me if replication technology exists that the ship would be designed to scavenge useful alien technology, as well as raw materials, since it is operating so far away from home basically independently for long stretches of time. It's how I would design it. When discovering alien technologies, analyze and if useful, scavenge and employ. But it still certainly seemed alien to me, both in design and powerplant. The other interesting things were when it detached itself (the timeline), and that it did so during FTL maneuvers, meaning it is designed to do so. That is interesting because if it is a drone SAR vessel under the AI of the Destiny you would expect it to have detached as soon as the ship found out about the missing crew, and to have done so prior to jumping into Hyperspace. Just a few seconds in hyperspace would mean perhaps many thousands or millions of miles extra distance in return trip or rendezvous. It seemed therefore to be operating either independently or directed by someone other than the ship itself. Of course the course of the destiny might have led it in the direction of the stranded crew, in that case the discrepancy in the point of departure might be accounted for.
4. It could be replicator technology which had advanced on its own during the Destiny's long voyage. Therefore it would operate as an independent but perhaps symbiotic system.
5. An as yet unintroduced ally.
6. An as yet unintroduced enemy.
7. One or more of the ancients, possibly a forward crew or an unascended ancient is in contact with the ship or is remotely controlling it. This would also possibly explain who has been in previous contact with Rush, assuming anyone, but I suspect that someone has been.
Other things I noticed. The gate they used to achieve planetside occupation of the desert planet had no apparent control system. This would seem to me to imply the idea that the gates used to contact the Density are really one way unless approved. They are designed not to be accessed from without (from outside the ship) specifically as a security measure to prevent unauthorized personnel or aliens from boarding the ship. If this is true of the other planetside or planetoid or ship born gates then the safe bet is that they are only designed to be dialed, not used to board the Destiny without strict security protocols being followed. Probably why, as far as we know, the two semi-mutinied crew could not return to the Destiny (assuming they were not already killed or incapacitated, or lost.) Of course there would be other ways to broad the ship.
I suspect the ship has indeed been boarded or at least nearly boarded before. The ship is I think testing the human crew to see exactly who they are and what their relationship to the ancients might be, and therefore if the ship can actually trust them.
I also liked the fact of the alien life being totally non-human (in morphology and general method of communicating) but helpful. I also very much liked the alien (the alien reminded me very much of both the idea of God speaking out of the whirlwind, very gently this time, and of the idea of the djinn, or spirit guide) tie to Scott and his past as a priest-candidate, and to his religious background, and to his "Mission in Life." I could very much emphasize with his character and his background and his understanding regarding his calling. In a way his mission to find the "limestone" that would 'clear the air' was a fulfillment of his religious mission and one method of his redemption. It was also a very real extension of his original mission, just in a very different way than he had originally imagined and prepared for.
Psychologically I also found it very interesting that the insubordinate Sarge (Greer I think they call him) was near the end of the episode taking orders from Rush on who to shoot and how to execute his mission. Greer, despite his insubordinate badass image is really quite babyish and childlike. He'd much rather be taking orders from others. There is very little if any leadership quality to the man at this point. And Rush is an erratic, self-driven leader. An erratic leader and an erratic follower are a dangerous combination, even when they don't mean to be.
This all leads us to the problem of who is the most likely Intel/security leak regarding who was trying to attack the Gate-to-Destiny planet. By first suspicion is the Colonel played by Phillips. I have a list of other suspects (assuming it is not someone not yet introduced) though who had motive, and opportunity, and capability. Rush had all of those as well but I suspect he is so far unlikely given the evidence to date due to the fact that I have already concluded that his ulterior motives spring from a different set of operating principles and objectives.
Another thing I noticed was, well, that can wit til I can gather more information by watching how they operate next time they are off-ship.
Now, I assume that the atmospheric environment has been temporarily stabilized, so the next survival/ship-board test will be water. Thereafter food, then real shelter, then formal ship control or at least cooperation with the ship itself. Then exploration, and in the background both trying to find a way home, and for Rush to accomplish his real goals in all of this. Which is not his real goal, but for him a secondary goal. He'd like the ship to himself.
Personally I think the show is doing very well.
Everytime it partially resolves one problem it opens up several more in background for speculation and exploration.
I like that in a show.
