StarGate: Traditions

[reveal]

"Who? Sorry... Bear in mind, I've been here 2 days..."

"Dr. Daniel Jackson was the person who deciphered the symbols that allowed us to dial coordinates and travel between gates. Captain Samantha Carter holds a PhD in Astrophysics (right?) and regularly helps establish how technology we gather can be used to strengthen our defenses."

"Granted, Captain Carter has had Air Force training, but neither is a 'real warrior type.' It takes more than grunts with guns to survive, Sgt Anderson. Brains, not always brawn, keep you alive in critical moments."

"It's $5 to you."

 

[Kemrain]

"Grunts with guns might be able to get in and out of a firefight, Sergeant, but we have the Marine teams for that. Most of the SG teams have other purposes. Scientific analysis, diplomacy, engineering, search and rescue, medical, exploration, and covert ops. There's need for all types through the gate, not just nine hundred pound gorillas with guns."

"I applied for Colonel Johnson's team, the new SG-14. I know I could lend something to a team, be it technical expertise or my other skills. After the first time I went through the gate, I knew I had to do more. After playing with the cute little trinkets they brought through to Area 51, and checking things out here while they're still warm, I figure the only way I can get my hands on them first is to go throuch and find them myself.

She smirks a little at Julian, her exciement and hopefulness proving insifficient in preventing another playful dig at him. She wonders silently if Bubba brings up the Wizard of Oz reference because he consiters himself the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, or Dorothy.

 

[Jaeden]

"Grunts with guns might be able to get in and out of a firefight, Sergeant, but we have the Marine teams for that. Most of the SG teams have other purposes. Scientific analysis, diplomacy, engineering, search and rescue, medical, exploration, and covert ops. There's need for all types through the gate, not just nine hundred pound gorillas with guns."

"No offense meant, at all.. I didn't guess the scientist-types went through. I figured they stayed here and worked via radio and with samples and probes. Some of the worlds I've heard described don't sound very hospitable to researchers and gear-heads, is all..."

"I applied for Colonel Johnson's team, the new SG-14. I know I could lend something to a team, be it technical expertise or my other skills.

Julian looks at his cards, tossing in the required $5 and kicking it $5 more when Bubba reminds him to do so.

"For what it's worth, Ms. Wolfe.. I'd want you on my team. I-Imean, if I ever was on one..." " He smiles meekly at her, blushing a little and trying to hide it from the Colonel... Julian has little experience at flirting, and flirting in front of a superior officer is a whole new difficulty level.

After the first time I went through the gate, I knew I had to do more. After playing with the cute little trinkets they brought through to Area 51, and checking things out here while they're still warm, I figure the only way I can get my hands on them first is to go through and find them myself.

"I will admit, it'd be a lot easier to understand an item if you had the surrounding area where it's found to look at. As something of a curious guy myself, I could see how scientists would be lined up around the block to go through the Stargate if they thought it was safe to do so."

"So.. you've been through? Does it... <he blushes, embarassed to ask> "... does it hurt? I mean... it takes your cells apart..."

 

[Keryn]

"No offense meant, at all.. I didn't guess the scientist-types went through. I figured they stayed here and worked via radio and with samples and probes. Some of the worlds I've heard described don't sound very hospitable to researchers and gear-heads, is all..."

"What happens if you go to a planet and no one there speaks English? What if you don't understand the culture and make a huge faux pas that ruins our potentially positive relationship with an entire planet? What if you turn on a gadget that blows up the planet? Scientist types help make sure these aren't the biggest problems facing SG teams. This frees up the soldier types to learn more about the enemy, their capabilities, and their stratagies. While scientists may be able to figure out how the technology works, it's often the soldiers who figure out how to use it. The combination allows the teams to focus on our mission - finding new technologies and allies to help defend our planet."

 

[Kemrain]

"For what it's worth, Ms. Wolfe.. I'd want you on my team. I-Imean, if I ever was on one...

Ashley grins, both at the compliment and Julian's facial expression while he gives it.

I will admit, it'd be a lot easier to understand an item if you had the surrounding area where it's found to look at. As something of a curious guy myself, I could see how scientists would be lined up around the block to go through the Stargate if they thought it was safe to do so.

"That's why the best scientists to go through are the folks who can handle a weapon and know how to keep their head down. It's why most of the people who step through have a rank before their name. Most of them are Air Force types, like you or Major Carter. There aren't too many civilians who go through, and the ones who do are experts at what they do, or at least good enough at so many things that they could compliment nearly any team."

So.. you've been through? Does it... ...does it hurt? I mean... it takes your cells apart..."

The young technician laughs, shaking her head. "Oh, god no. It didn't hurt at all. It doesn't feel like anything, really. You step in, you step out, with nothing but a little light in your eyes for your troubles. Before they got siesmic dampeners and compensated for stellar drift you came out feeling sick to your stomach and covered with frost, but we overcame that, and it's a very gentle ride now."

 

[Jaeden]

Ashley grins, both at the compliment and Julian's facial expression while he gives it.

Julian will return the smile, a bit more confident now that she's not reacting like most girls would to his advances, such as throwing the table at him.

"That's why the best scientists to go through are the folks who can handle a weapon and know how to keep their head down. It's why most of the people who step through have a rank before their name. Most of them are Air Force types, like you or Major Carter. There aren't too many civilians who go through, and the ones who do are experts at what they do, or at least good enough at so many things that they could compliment nearly any team."

"Well, I did pass the weapons training in basic, obviously..." .oO(5 years ago... on my fifth try...)

The young technician laughs, shaking her head. "Oh, god no. It didn't hurt at all. It doesn't feel like anything, really. You step in, you step out, with nothing but a little light in your eyes for your troubles. Before they got siesmic dampeners and compensated for stellar drift you came out feeling sick to your stomach and covered with frost, but we overcame that, and it's a very gentle ride now."

"Amazing.. The frost part could be kinda cool... So, it's instantaneous?"

 

[Jaeden]

"What happens if you go to a planet and no one there speaks English? What if you don't understand the culture and make a huge faux pas that ruins our potentially positive relationship with an entire planet? What if you turn on a gadget that blows up the planet? Scientist types help make sure these aren't the biggest problems facing SG teams. This frees up the soldier types to learn more about the enemy, their capabilities, and their stratagies. While scientists may be able to figure out how the technology works, it's often the soldiers who figure out how to use it. The combination allows the teams to focus on our mission - finding new technologies and allies to help defend our planet."

"Your point's well made, ma'am. Though, it surprises me that you haven't come up with some sort of hand-held translation device, kinda like the ones tourists use when they go to Europe for the summer. If I had access to somebody who spoke some of these alien languages conversationally, and a few weeks with my laptop, I could probably put together a translator app for any language you want.. Port that puppy to a PDA and you're in like flint. A babelfish."

 

[Kemrain]

"Amazing.. The frost part could be kinda cool... So, it's instantaneous?"

"It seems that way to the traveler, but no. The distances traveled, even through the sort of subspace that the Stargate bores a wormhole through, are so vast that it takes a few seconds, and incoming travelers can be detected moments before they arrive. It isn't practically useful, but it's interesting."

"Your point's well made, ma'am. Though, it surprises me that you haven't come up with some sort of hand-held translation device, kinda like the ones tourists use when they go to Europe for the summer. If I had access to somebody who spoke some of these alien languages conversationally, and a few weeks with my laptop, I could probably put together a translator app for any language you want.. Port that puppy to a PDA and you're in like flint. A babelfish."

"Well, that might work for spoken languages, but what about written discoveries? What about ancient dialects? What about aliens who don't want to wait for a translator unit? What about the instances where we need communication right now? Sure, it'd be useful, but it's no replacement for a linguist."

 

[Jaeden]

"It seems that way to the traveler, but no. The distances traveled, even through the sort of subspace that the Stargate bores a wormhole through, are so vast that it takes a few seconds, and incoming travelers can be detected moments before they arrive. It isn't practically useful, but it's interesting."

"Is that how they know when to close the gate's iris?"

"Well, that might work for spoken languages, but what about written discoveries? What about ancient dialects? What about aliens who don't want to wait for a translator unit? What about the instances where we need communication right now? Sure, it'd be useful, but it's no replacement for a linguist."

"Maybe not a replacement, but a useful substitute... For teams that don't have a linguist, or got separated from her? For written languages, you could graft a digital camera onto the PDA and do character recognition. With the image processing experience I picked up at Langley, something like that would be pie. Should work for heiroglyphs, whatever you got. It's a tool that would grow as our knowledge does, for sure... But it seems like, if we could build a reliable unit, it would be a damn handy thing to issue gate teams."

 

[Kemrain]

"They close the iris when they notice the gate activating off schedule. Hell, even on scheduled activations. While the iris keeps matter from passing through, it allows energy, and there are iris codes to open it. Each team gets a GDO per member, a garage door opener, and a new code each mission. You don't strike me as the type who has trouble memorizing codes, though. But, a translator would be very useful. I'd love to see one, if it were practical."