#another road

[cinerins]

Seeing there's still an active SGA fandom here on tumblr is just so special to me (You really are among the bravest souls out there 💕)

As I'm strapping in for yet another rewatch, I'm reminded of all the reasons I can't help but be fond of this show, despite its... many shortcomings. The characters and their dynamics really just stay with you... but the concept of being stuck in an entire alien galaxy feels SO underutilized!

Several years ago I started thinking about different "what-ifs" and a completely alternate direction for this series, taking the more alien aspects and "survival while being cut off from earth" into account. (Going as far as rewriting two entire seasons, before I dropped it)

Well, there's no time like the present! So as I'm debating completely rebooting that script, I might as well share a couple of my ideas in that "AU" with the community here

The Ancients

On a surface level, the Ancients can be fairly interesting in their arrogance and ambitions, but that's really about it. What mostly bugged me is how utterly bland they are as a people – essentially just ethereally advanced romano-greek philosophers with a sprinkle of moral conflict.

I know in the larger SG canon they are supposed to be aliens from yet another galaxy, but I wanted to explore the idea of them being native to earth. Millions of years is an ABSURD amount of time, considering how much can change in a handful of generations.

So... I thought they could've sprung from a shared ancestor as Homo Alius, long before the rise of H. Sapiens, primarily around the Agulhas Bank, before the ocean took it. It would mainly serve to better connect them to our regular humans and explain the genetic similarities and later integration.

They would prosper and achieve interstellar travel around 300.000 years ago, developing the Stargates a couple of thousand years later. Fast forward and they eventually struggled with a "plague" which would prompt Atlantis to break off and escape into another galaxy.

Anyway, the main point is that I wanted them to feel a little more distinct in their culture and behavior. They may look like us, but they don't really act or think like us. Not to mention the number of physiological differences that would set them apart, such as a longer lifespan averaging around five centuries and certain abilities.

When the remaining Lanteans returned ten thousand years ago, they would notice the advancements humans have made in their absence. While they call themselves Alterans, these people would be referred to as Ceterans – "the others" and "the rest"

It would take them a few more generations of attempting to ascend, before the remainder ultimately decided to give up, bury the past, and live out the rest of their lives among these cousins.

The Descendants

Another point that always bothered me a little are the humans native to the Pegasus galaxy. These are people that supposedly descended from the Alterans and lived isolated in their own corner of the universe for thousands of years, so... what's with the medieval villages and european industrialization?? (joking)

It's a lot more forgivable and even interesting in SG1, where the whole premise is about humans abducted from various earth cultures and time periods. But a lot of the Atlantis episodes just end up feeling very silly, when you remember this is supposed to be another galaxy.

The pilot takes a slightly more fun (albeit mild) approach with the Athosians, who feel much more like the survivors of the ancient ruins seen on their homeworld. Still, the concept of "distinct" cultures mostly ends up on the sidelines in favor of war and action as the series progresses...

My own approach was to really go into their role as "Descendants" with varying directions. A sort of genetic turn still would've occurred at some point, with increasing generations losing many of their abilities and even the capacity to ascend on their own.

This would've sparked a rift among a number of colonies, having more and more people become "unfit" to live in their structures, unable to operate much of their more advanced technologies. However, most would refuse to "downgrade" to more accessible methods, especially so with the Wraith on the rise.

Doesn't mean that some didn't try finding a middle ground, or that this next generation couldn't figure out their own alternatives – they are Alterans still, even without the glamour. How much of that changed and survived through the ages would differ greatly. (Majority retained an average lifespan of 300 years, even some abilities)

The Expedition

Right off the bat, I wanted to lean more into the differences between the people of this galaxy and our team from earth – make them feel much more like fish out of water. SG1 had the advantage of a major anthropology nerd, these guys would have to figure it out as they go.

Characters like Teyla and Ronon would have more prominent roles in navigating the various societies and environments of known Gate-networks. Weir also could've been given more opportunities to shine with her political background.

Overall, I would've loved if this expedition actually focused a little more on research – particularly the kind that wasn't just about them finding a new super weapon or ancient virus. Featuring more nuanced dilemmas and creative problem solving, that doesn't boil down to gunfire and explosions...

Their initial struggle to survive in terms of food and energy could really be expanded, especially when stranded in environments that have been isolated from earth and developed under very different conditions for millennia.

"Accept an invitation for dinner or suffer the consequences" would have a different angle, when you don't know whether said dinner, even if well-intentioned, could kill them.

The topic of language is fairly understandable for a TV show and there's a lot more liberties in a written medium. Having a bit of a language barrier just seems like a fun thing to work around in a story. An additional point is that there's a bit of a difference between "Alteran" and "Lantean"

Pretty much all expedition members, regardless of background, would've been required to undergo an "Ancient" crash course over the 16 months before they passed through the event horizon. It just seems like the smart thing to do, when waltzing into a ten thousand year old city, that may or may not be abandoned.

There's a bit of a learning curve as they meet the various inhabitants of this galaxy. To them, these newcomers would have an "odd" and even "archaic" dialect. It would take some time for the team to adapt and for allies to start learning english – it makes for a lot of fun interactions and adds the option of "private" conversations or messages between team members, that others wouldn't understand.

Pegasus Life

There are a very few glimpses we get of "other" life among these stars and exploring that beyond one or two episodes could've gotten very interesting – more so when you wonder how they may have affected the people left behind.

Other "visitors" like the Vanir must've had quite an impact, considering their less conventional methods compared to the almost benevolent Asgard known around the Milky Way. A slow build-up of mystery and tension until their eventual encounter would've been very fun.

The prospect of life truly native to this galaxy, predating the arrival of the Ancients, is very appealing to me personally. What if "seeding" some of these worlds involved paving over pre-existing life the Ancients weren't even aware of, remnants of which could've started breaking through the cracks like weeds.

What if a number of Gate addresses lead to what are essentially just abandoned research outposts, dedicated to studying or altering local flora & fauna. What if the teams stumbled over previously undiscovered worlds via means other than Gate travel.

And as mentioned before, even the successfully "seeded" and colonized planets could've gotten pretty weird over time, their inhabitants involved. (Wish we could've gotten to see that "t-rex")

In my old rewrite, I did actually feature a bit of a Jurassic Park scenario. Here the Ancients had sampled and tried to re- and deconstruct various life of earth in their genetic studies, explaining a number of odd animal encounters. (or monster encounters)

The Wraith

Tying into that last point... the books add a little more nuance to these space vampires, being one of the Ancient's many failed attempts in achieving immortality, with disastrous consequences. Even accepting that explanation, I can't help but find them... strange.

Sucking the life force out of others through your hand feels a little too specific of a trait to be unintentional or accidental. Beyond that is their markedly different behavior and culture, even. It's just a bunch of little details that compelled me to add more to their history.

The "Old Blood" are essentially the original "Wraith" native to this galaxy – very humanoid at a glance, but with features that would make our regular Wraith seem more like the guys in costumes they are. I wanted to emphasize on them feeling just a little more "primordial" and the others as wrong.

As a biology nerd, I immediately decided their key difference is that both hands serve as feeding organs. On that note, I also remember the first Queen in the pilot having what looked like slightly webbed hands and wanted to incorporate that as well.

The small pit organs on the face of the Wraith we know would turn out to be significantly reduced gill-like organs on the side of the throat/neck of the originals. Gives them more of an aquatic feeling, which i found fitting considering the Queen in Submersion (whom I actually decided to make one of the Old Blood)

Their skin would look a little rougher and more like the cool-toned, dark gray similar to John's bug transformation, but I also think there should be a little more natural variety between hives. Also, those ornaments/implants on Wraith fingers could serve to imitate the more claw-like appendages of the originals.

Anyway, I could go on, but the gist of it is that they would make the Lantean-Wraith (ironically) seem more like unnatural hybrids and somewhat "watered down" compared to the native species.

Feeding Habits

Some adjustments have also been made to the feeding process... The general idea is that it's somewhere between involving chemical components and the very vague sci-fi concept of draining the "vitality"/"energy" out of a living entity that gives them this extreme longevity.

However, you can't make something out of nothing, so a certain amount of substance is needed not only for them to grow, but also to recover from major injuries without lasting effects. At least, that's how their more traditional digestive system makes sense to me.

Feeding wouldn't actually induce artifical aging or turn somebody into a dried husk, but rather "drain" them in a way weeks of stress and 2 hours of sleep would. Skin sagging, muscles waning, body just kinda deflating, leaving you feeling frail and hollow.

Once the enzyme wears off, it's still a gamble whether or not you'll survive the experience. If you do, you'd never fully recover and your hair would slowly start falling out and start growing in gray, really making it seem like they took years off your life.

It's the complicated genetic make-up of the Lantean-Wraith that makes them "incompatible" with life unrelated to them, being forced to feed on either Alterans or other Wraith. Thought it would be interesting if that means they would be unable to feed on Ceterans, if they don't have any Ancient genes in them.

In this setting, it would also explain why Runners exist. Ronon would be one of the few people "lucky" enough to have become so genetically distinct from the Lanteans, the Wraith cannot feed on them. Majority of these generations are wiped out when found, with strong individuals picked out to serve as game and as an example.

Wraithkin would be the result of attempts to counteract this growing shift, by introducing more Wraith DNA into the gene pool. (You already know how that went down)

The Old Blood don't really have this same restriction, though feeding on humans would be the equivalent of eating junk food. Regardless, they're left with little choice, since their original feeding grounds were thoroughly destroyed or tainted by the Lanteans during the war.

The War...

Wraith have always been rather territorial and the Ancients suddenly showing up and encroaching on those territories already set things off to a great start. Neither were really looking for a fight, so while tensions ebbed and flowed, they mostly tried to stay out of each other's business.

Well, that is until certain Lanteans learned about their more fascinating traits and abilities.

Even the old hives were no monolith, opinions on Atlantis and their growing colonies ranged from indifference to indignation. A number of hives eventually decided to try and push it, giving some very desperate (but mostly curious) Alterans enough of an excuse to take prisoners for research in the midst of the rising conflict.

What really set off a full-scale war, was when those prisoners perished during an escape attempt, after the creation of the first "successful" batch of hybrids. Greatly underestimating the mental capabilities of the Wraith and their reach, the Ancients were very unprepared for the immediate, near-universal response.

Survivors of the experiment joined the warring hives, offering what little they knew and remembered as intel, which would become a deciding factor in overwhelming the Ancients.

This is the only real explanation that makes any sense to me in how this small group of freshly baked Wraith would've managed to grow so much in numbers and power without an entire galaxy of Ancients noticing or putting a stop to it...

Modern Hives

The marked disgust the Wraith have for a hybrid like Michael in the series would've been similar to the way the old hives regarded the survivors they took in. (Talk about hypocritical...) Naturally, they were more than a little upset and began plotting to seize control over the ships and troops.

After varying degrees of success and the Ancients defeated, their expected arrogance and now territorial nature spurred them to continue their conquest. Securing colonies and undermining other hives, it would be no surprise if they had a hand in the ultimate decline of the original feeding grounds.

The greater majority of current hives are rather "young" in comparison and much of their history has become very clouded or embellished. Wraith of the Old Blood are now few and far between, with very mixed reception from others.

Survivors may have conceded or integraded themselves as commanders and advisors, or gone into hiding. What also could've made an interesting approach, is if some of them have opted to becoming "hunters of hunters" of sorts, choosing to feed on these new Wraith either as a challenge or out of some sense of revenge.

With decidedly less variety, the contemporary Wraith culture is an unconventional mix of more instinctual notions and alteran ideas left over from the war. The "old ways" are largely foreign to them.

And that wraps it up for this post!

There is much, much more I could talk about, but I'm sure this is already long enough as is 😅

For the actual story exploring these differences — it's a general idea I had along the lines of: "Imagine if they had arrived in Atlantis much later than they did" and "What if this world and history was just a little different than in the show?"

A fun personal domino effect, that would've completely changed when certain people were first encountered and how significant or even fixed events may have played out...

I never shared this "AU" with anyone beyond one trusted friend, mostly because I was worried how others might react to this more "sciency" and sensible take on a show that is 80% "shoot the bad guy" type of action...

It would be nice to know what people here think of these ideas, so please feel welcome to share!

In the meantime, even if I decide against rehashing that script, I'll see if I can interest that friend in creating some art of these concepts again...

[remked]

It's finally finished!

Another Road, charted on Cytus! (ish)

What do you think?

[hamsternamedmarinette]

Hey guys here's another comic I drew completely by myself with a punchline that I had planned from the first panel!!!

It would be so silly if I tagged @carpisuns / @marimbles in this, considering I have never met her before and she had nothing to do with the creation of this comic. 👍

[djkinski]

the prophecy gang again

[buildoblivionthenwewilltalk]

[reclusivesapphire]

mama mia here we go again (this is insanely fun)

[hannibard]

Geralt: you're beautiful

Jaskier:

Jaskier: witcher eyesight mustn't be as good as the rumors say because it took you over 20 years to notice

[pepperfellover]

A little Valentine's Day Comission 💌

for my beloved @scribbat of young Eraqus and Xehanort, back in their prime (before the horrors of being doomed by the narrative).

[lunaechaos]

i'm going to pass out i never thought i needed Agatha in old money preppy clothes until i saw this

[late-draft]

Nothing is happening. He's nowhere. And yet there's so much traffic, people and vessels moving. Distant shouting and discussions, communicating about logistics, but there's no need for him there. So he just stares out in silence and feels the cold wind. The air is choked with the stench of diesel every day and yet sea birds fly through that filth still.

[stoptakingusernames]

[cinerins]

Another Road – Expedition Overview

This is a general look at the direction and structure of the Atlantis expedition in my AU "Another Road" — I thought I might as well share my own ideas and concepts for a slightly different SGA setting here!

The team embarks on their journey about a year later, August 2005, after a 16 month period of training and preparation, following the discovery of Atlantis.

With an initial count of 200 volunteers, the expedition is comprised of several researchers previously stationed at the antarctic outpost, as well as additional candidates and military personnel approved by the IOA and HWC.

Expectations

Given what they have thus far learned about the Ancients and the experiences gained in the Stargate program, there are a number of potential points of interest and expected risks to consider, before stepping foot into another galaxy.

As an international scientific project, the primary focus of the expedition is the gathering of information pertaining to the Ancients and research of their technological advancements. However, due to the unknown nature of the Pegasus galaxy, the research of any extraterrestrial life and technology is a general goal.

Peaceful, undisruptive exploration may be the ideal direction of such an undertaking, but the International Committee and Homeworld Command have come to agree, that a military component would be necessary as a precaution. Should they find it unwarranted, the selected personnel could simply aid in emergencies and the overall operations of the group.

The 16 month buffer serves to prepare for anything the team might find on the other side of the event horizon — be that a thriving society, or another abandoned outpost left to sleep in a wasteland. All members would've been required to learn the Ancient language (Alteran) and the basics of Gate travel, if they weren't familiar already.

Since the Ancients are genetic cousins, originating from Earth in this setting and have left a grand network of habitable locations throughout the Milky Way, it gives our team the hope of establishing a reliable base, even if they don't find anything alive.

The possibility of no return is a risk they are well aware of.

Composition

Each and every volunteer has been selected and vetted by the agencies involved, either with Weir's recommendation or approval.

Key factors are an extensive understanding of relevant fields (particularly regarding the Stargate and Ancients) and/or the possession of the ATA gene. There is much overlap of expertise among expedition members, the idea being to employ a wide array of knowledge and skills in as few people as possible.

Senior staff manages the overall decisions and is comprised of the representative leader of their given division, with Dr. Weir as head of the expedition as a whole.

The team features seven divisions, color-coded for convenience and each with departments as subsections, covering specific fields.

Cultural Division (red)

Head: Elizabeth Weir

Departments / Fields

Anthropology

Archaeology

Philosophy

Politics

Linguistics

-> Initial numbers: 15

Technical Division (purple)

Head: Peter Grodin

Departments / Fields

Technology & Engineering

Stargate Operations

Computer Science

Robotics

Electronics

-> Initial numbers: 31

Physical Science Division (blue)

Head: Rodney McKay

Departments / Fields

Astrophysics

Quantum Physics

Wormhole Physics

Astronomy

Chemistry

Thermodynamics

-> Initial numbers: 20

Life Science Division (green)

Head: Veronica Weaver*

Departments / Fields

Astrobiology

Microbiology

Biochemistry

Botany & Agriculture

Zoology

Ecology

Genetics

-> Initial numbers: 24

Environmental Division (yellow)

Head: Mercedes Torres*

Departments / Fields

Geology

Hydrology

Geography

Oceanography

Atmospheric Science

-> Initial numbers: 12

Medical Division (white)

CMO: Carson Beckett

Handle primary medical treatment and care, ensuring the overall well-being of all expedition members in the following points:

Medicine

Surgery

Physical Therapy

Anesthesiology

Dentistry

Pathology

Psychiatry

-> Initial numbers: 14

Military Division (black)

CO: Marshall Sumner / John Sheppard (later)

Offer assistance to the other divisions and the expedition as a whole, cover following responsibilities:

Security

Logistics

Emergency Management

Emergency Medical Treatment

Decontamination

Military Operations

-> Initial numbers: 84

*unoffical characters added to fill these positions.

Management

The team is provided with enough supplies to cover each division's general needs, both work-related and personal, for about a year. If necessary, their use of equipment and gear can easily be extended, but water and food production would depend on the environment and resources they're met with.

Complete, long-term self-sufficiency should be possible, with access to the needed materials, but is not the intended goal of this expedition.

An emergency transmitter would've been used to send a signal to Earth, in case they cannot dial back and have found themselves trapped, with no means to support themselves beyond what they brought along. It would've taken a while to be received, but by then the Daedalus should've been fully operational and able to retrieve them, before their supplies run out.

If they are not heard from in any way within their first year (taking communications delay into account, given their distance) Earth would've presumed them dead and the mission a failure. However, if the mission was at least partially a success and they have access to safe food and water, but still no way to return, a number of satellites would've been launched to act as relay stations between the galaxies.

Sending a ship to and fro would be off the table, unless it was really worth the cost of such a long trip — say, if it was to rescue the group, or to transport artifacts and materials of significant value. The IOA would be reluctant to send off one of Earth's limited number of interstellar vessels, while they have more pressing uses among our own stars.

Either way, unless they found more convenient alternatives, the expedition would've expected to rely mostly on themselves.

[autumn-may]

So you know how mistletoes parasitic

[tezzbot]

Some more On The Road AU doodles!! The sleepers and the dancers lol The second image is kind of technically a spoiler? maybe a half spoiler idk hjgfdgf Either way I am having fun w this au :P

[luck-of-the-drawings]

[OLD ART ALERT] A COLLECTION OF SCENES FROM THE GILLIONS CATSCRATCH ARC THAT BROUGHT ME GREAT JOY. i love fishy chips especially when its just gillion being delirious and violent and hostile

[swinging-through-the-stars]

Some NSR doodles. Since I've started ANOTHER playthrough.