| Long-range communication device | |
|---|---|
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| Production information | |
| Manufacturer |
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| Designer |
(custom variant) |
| Technical specifications | |
| Function |
Communication over any distance |
| Control system | |
| Power source |
Subspace |
| Usage | |
| Affiliation |
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The long-range communication device is a two-way communication device which creates a psychological and physiological link between the users on each end, swapping their minds into each other's bodies. It was originally created by the Alterans millions of years ago, before they left their home galaxy. A variant of the original was developed by the Federation sometime around 2381.
Overview[]
The long-range communication device is used in conjunction with the Long-range communication stones. When the stones are attached to the device, they create a link with the nearest active communication stone, allowing the user to take control of the person to whom the stone is linked and vice versa. As long as the link is active, the user controls the recipient's body as if it were their own.
The device, thus far, has no known limit to its range; it can function seamlessly over billions of light years. However, it appears to be unable to establish a two-way link over intergalactic distances without the aid of a second communication device on the other end. For example, when Dr. Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran used one to connect to the Alteran Home Galaxy, the couple they connected to were not switched in return until a second device was briefly engaged; when it was disabled, the connection back to Earth was severed. Conversely, a communication device activated by Neeva Casol in the Alpha Quadrant was able to create a two-way link between her and Dr. Jennifer Keller, despite Keller not having used a communication device in return, and likewise Colonel Everett Young was able to swap with a Nakai with the use of a single device.
Once a link is formed between two individuals, it cannot be severed until the stones are removed or power to one or both devices is cut off. The Alteran version of this device will maintain a one-way connection without a companion device, while the Federation version will disable the connection on both ends if either side loses power.
The device establishes a physiological link as well as a mental one, linking the well-being of those using the device. Extreme sensations such as suffocation or burning will be shared, and if one body dies the other will die with it; if the body that died is revived after death, the other is too. Its shown that when one person on the link is killed, the other is as well, shown with the deaths of Ginn and Amanda Perry (Although one person once argued that this could have been an exception given Perry's weakened physical state, the context suggests that he was simply clutching at straws). However, the minds of the people killed can become trapped in the stones and under certain circumstances connect with someone using the stones and temporarily take over their bodies. The device does not share every sensation. For instance, if a person were to become intoxicated while the device is active, they would only be affecting the host body of their partner; if the device were to be deactivated or disrupted while that person is intoxicated, the user would find him/herself sober in the original body, leaving the other user to feel the effects of intoxication. This is also true of injuries such as broken bones, as when Master Sergeant Ronald Greer broke his leg during the Lucian Alliance attack on Earth, the person he had swapped with was unaware of the injury.
Daniel Jackson believed that the device was able to translate from Ancient to English based on his first experience with it. When Everett Young used the device and swapped with a Nakai, he could not comprehend their language, which uses clicks and screeches, nor could he communicate in his own tongue.
Original Alteran device[]
The original Alteran long-range communication device has a hemisphere-shaped base about two feet in diameter with a crystalline spire coming from the center. There are eighteen communication stone slots spaced equally around the base. When active, the spire turns blue. While the specifics of the device is unknown, what is known is that the device draws power from subspace. Once activated, the device is impossible to shut off; it has no "off switch" and any stones attached to it are locked in place. The only known method the Federation have for disabling the link is to destroy the device. A Prior has been shown to be able to deactivate the device without the need for violence using his powers, suggesting that the Ancients used their own powers in a similar manner.
History[]
Neeva Casol activates a communication device
The first encounter the Federation had with a device was through the communication stones found by Brigadier General Jack O'Neill and Joe Spencer. Their possession of the two stones created a weak psychic link between them, which activated in proximity of the stones. Later on, the communication device was discovered. Realizing that the stones interfaced with the device, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran used it in hopes of meeting non-ascended Ancients living in another galaxy. Instead, they linked to Harrid Cicera and Sallis Cicera, heretics who had discovered a similar device outside Ver Eger.
The device found in the vault was destroyed when Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell and Captain Typhuss James Kira threw it into the unstable vortex of an activating Stargate. The device in Ver Eger was taken to Celestis to be destroyed, but Seevis' contacts in Celestis smuggled it out to Ver Isca before that could happen.
Mckay interfacing with the device
In 2384, the Atlantis Expedition had an encounter with one of these devices. Neeva Casol activated one while stealing artifacts from a village, switching with Dr. Jennifer Keller, who was the last person to touch the related Long-range communication stone in Janus' lab. To restore them both to their proper bodies, Ronon Dex shot the device with his particle magnum, disabling it.
Ori long-range communication[]
Though the Ori have not been shown to build a physical version of the long-range communication device, a Prior has shown to be able to duplicate the effect using their powers (likely in conjunction with their staff). A Prior in the Milky Way demonstrated this with Gerak, bringing both himself and Gerak to Celestis, whereupon Gerak was converted to a Prior himself. It's not shown if their bodies were being controlled by someone else during the exchange.
Federation device[]
The Federation, despite not understanding the technology completely, have managed to construct their own version of the device. This variant is much smaller and box-shaped. The top of the device has a flat panel with five intersecting rings, where the stones can be placed. When a communication stone is placed in one of the five rings, the panel lights up and the link is established. There is also another, smaller variant that holds only a single stone.
The Federation variant
The Federation version of the device has the advantage of being easy to shut off, in contrast to the original which must be disabled or destroyed (if only due to their lack of understanding in how it operates). It comes with a removable power cell, allowing the user to break the connection at will. Alternatively, since the stones are placed on a flat panel and not attached in any way, they can simply by picked up to break the link. The person doing so tends to use gloves or other cover for their hands while doing so, presumably to keep the stone from imprinting on them.
Unlike the original, outside factors have been shown to disrupt the link to various degrees. Destiny's Faster-Than-Light engine creates a subspace disruption when engaged or disengaged, breaking the link for a few seconds. The Nakai mind probe will sever the link if used on one of the two users, preceded by a bout of severe pain in the subject. Intense weapons fire directed at Destiny'sshields from several Nakai motherships has also severed the link. When a Nakai that had handled a stone was killed moments before an attempted connection, Colonel Everett Young, who had connected to the alien twice before, was unable to connect to anyone, including Earth. The connection to Earth was eventually restored. High levels of radiation on one end of the connection can also affect it, preventing it from being severed when the stones are removed or even when the base is turned off, but this can be bypassed so the connection can be broken.
Another effect of the device not shown with the Alteran version is the transfer of traces of memory from the host body, which can be experienced in the form of brief visions or dreams. This is likely a side effect of the host being exposed to Goa'uld brainwashing technology, as it does not occur under normal circumstances. This version has also been shown to be able to connect to a completely alien species, namely the Nakai, provided they have an active stone. The device is also able to clear the imprints on stones, rendering them inert until they are imprinted by another person. If the imprint is not cleared, the stone will remain active despite not being place on the panel. The Nakai used their stone a second time to exploit this, connecting with Lieutenant Vanessa James. This presumably worked because Destiny's communication device was active at the time.
History[]
The Federation first tried to emulate the technology through the use of a modified Tok'ra subspace receiver. By 2381, they had developed a functional version. At least one device was stationed at Icarus in anticipation of traveling through the Stargate to the nine-chevron address. When the base came under attack by an unknown force, an evacuation was immediately underway. However, rather than dial Earth, Dr. Nicholas Rush dialed the ninth-chevron address, effectively stranding roughly 80 Icarus personnel aboard the Ancient ship, Destiny. As the last person to evacuate the base, Colonel Everett Young spent valuable seconds in securing a device. As a result, he was critically injured as the base exploded and he was flung through the Stargate and across the Gate room aboard Destiny. In the ensuing chaos, Rush discovered the device and discreetly made use of it. Afterwards, the device was used by the expedition to keep contact with Earth and make visits to families, as well as occasionally call in experts when Destiny's crew's own experience is insufficient. On one occasion, the device was used to bring a family member to Destiny. Marian Wallace was brought aboard in order to help her see her son Eli Wallace again and convince her not to give up on her fight against HIV. However, this was a one-time occasion that was only performed thanks to the influence of Camile Wray, but is an action that all of the crew wish they perform, so that their family members could see what they are doing.
During Young's attempt to make a report to Earth, he switched bodies with a Nakai aboard a mothership who had come into possession of a communication stone. After an attack by the aliens, Young used this to sneak aboard the mothership to try to rescue Chloe Armstrong, who had been kidnapped by them. He ended up freeing Rush instead, and when Young used a mind probe given to him by Rush, the connection was severed. Rush killed the alien whose body he'd been inhabiting before Young could return. The Nakai later used the stone in their possession to infiltrate Destiny and sabotage its Faster-Than-Light engine, allowing them to mount an attack which Destiny could not flee from. Fortunately, Jeremy Franklin managed to use the Destiny interface chair to bypass the damage and get Destiny to safety.
After switching with Colonel David Telford on a scheduled switch, Rush had a dream made up of residual memory carried over from Telford. In this, he learnt that Telford was the spy for the Lucian Alliance. In order to prove this and to allow Young to interrogate Telford, Rush switched with Telford again during a scheduled transfer and posed as him on Earth. Tailed by Dr. Daniel Jackson, Rush made contact with the Alliance through a cell phone found in a safe-deposit box. However, this aroused the Alliance's suspicion as he did not use the code-word to identify himself, which revealed to the Alliance that someone else was inhabiting Telford's body. Rush was then captured and taken away on a Tel'tak. He was then forced to reveal his real identity, and work on dialing the ninth chevron for the Lucian Alliance. On Destiny Young interrogated Telford about his actions. Young then used the stones several times to report to Earth. After Telford proved to be completely uncooperative - and to even lied to him - Young had Corporal Marsden switch bodies with Lieutenant General Jack O'Neill so that O'Neill could help in the interrogation. Even with O'Neill there, Telford refused to cooperate, so O'Neill was sent back. Young then vented the atmosphere in Telford's room, killing him. He then revived him. Doing so also effected Rush on the other end of the link, but he too was revived when Telford was. Telford's brainwashing was broken and he revealed all that he knew about what was going, on including the location of the planet Rush was on. This led to an attack by the USS George Hammond, which forced the Lucian Alliance to evacuate to Destiny. The travel through the Stargate to Destiny severed the connection between the Telford and Rush. Telford however remained free of the brainwashing, even in his own body. The Alliance later used the stones to bring in a team of doctors from Earth to treat the injured, by forcing Wray and three others to switch bodies with them. The doctors successfully saved Lieutenant Tamara Johansen and Telford, but were unable to save TJ's baby. Telford and Camile Wray later used the device to report back to Earth on the aftermath of the invasion, where they were ordered to keep a small number of the invasion force on board Destiny. Later, one of the Alliance members, Ginn, switched with Dr. Amanda Perry in order to report what she knew about a Lucian Alliance attack on Earth to Homeworld Command. They were both were killed when Simeon killed Perry in Ginn's body.
When Senator Michaels decided to examine Destiny to see if building a new Icarus Base was feasible, she brought with her Dr. Andrew Covel, the two switching with Wray and Master Sergeant Ronald Greer. On Destiny, the two took a tour of the ship and Michaels chatted with Chloe while Covel examined the signal Rush found and the two determined that building another Icarus Base was not viable as they didn't believe the crew would survive long enough. On Earth, the Lucian Alliance attacked by crashing a Tel'tak into Homeworld Command. The ship was armed with a 50 to 70 megaton Naquadria bomb. Wray and Greer attempted to reach it, rescuing along the way what turned out to be the Alliance pilot. In the process they accidentally exposed Michaels' and Covel's bodies to a fatal dose of radiation in the process. The two learned of this when an FTL drop-out severed the connection for a few moments. The connection was unable to be severed due to the radiation and Covel's desperate sabotage- Covel hoping that he and Michaels might be able to survive the deaths of their bodies if they remained in Wray and Greer- but it was temporarily severed again by an FTL jump so Varro could tell Wray and Greer how to disarm the bomb. The two failed, but Rush fixed the problem with the stones and sent Michaels and Covel back with the necessary information to complete the task, dismissing Covel's hopes that they would survive as weak at best. Due to problems with the Earth device, a connection was unable to be made for over six days. However, once the problem was fixed, Telford connected to inform the crew that the disarming was successful.
When trying to connect with Earth, during the six days that the stones were down, Chloe fell asleep while connected to the stones, allowing the consciousnesses of Ginn and Amanda Perry, which had continued to exist in the communications stones as the connection was not properly severed, to take control over her body. Due to a glitch, Ginn experienced incidents where she seemed to relive her death by strangulation and grew weaker and weaker as time went on, allowing Chloe and Perry, who was weaker than both Ginn and Chloe to surface more and more often. Eventually the Destiny interface chair was used to transfer the two minds into Destiny's mainframe.
As part of their plan to dial Destiny from Langara, Richard Woolsey brought two communications devices of the smaller variant to Langara where he tricked a Langaran Captain and Administrator Halpern into picking up the stones, allowing Lieutenant Matthew Scott and Young to switch with them and pose as them so they could take over the facility while on Destiny, Vanessa James gave the two a tour of the ship to try to garner sympathy from them. The ruse was eventually exposed when a Langaran soldier overheard a conversation revealing the truth and the plan failed.
After a plan was devised for the crew to enter stasis for three years to skip the galaxy that they were in, the communications device was used so the crew could say goodbye to their loved ones.