Stargate SG-1 n°2, p. 14-17, Science and Technology

Prometheus

Stargate SG-1 n°2, p. 14-17

Science and Technology
Ship Blueprint Analysis

Prometheus

The SGC programme has led to communication and trade with other civilisations, and their technology and knowledge made it possible to build an interstellar ship. The X-303 (Prometheus) was designed to serve both as an interstellar exploration vessel and as a warship, forming Earth's first line of defence against the Goa'uld.

Crystal
control

Many of Prometheus's key systems use crystal technology instead of the traditional system of cables and microchips. Based on a Goa'uld design, the crystals act as master circuits in the ship, linking the main computer to these alien systems. The crystals plug into panels in the engine room. If they are damaged or removed, the system they control stops working. The bridge design, however, follows the classic model of other USAF vessels.

Technical
specifications

Length
195 m
Width
80 m
Height
65 m
Weight
1.5 million kg
Speed
180,000 km per second

The X-303, code-named Prometheus, is the third in a series of spacecraft combining human and alien technologies. The SGC's earlier craft, the X-301 and X-302, were based on Goa'uld technology and intended only for aerial combat. On board Prometheus are a state-of-the-art medical lab, able to handle any emergency, a science lab, and special quarters to store and preserve archaeological artefacts collected on missions. This top-secret ship was built in two years at Area 51.

Hubble III telescope

Standard and deep-space radar array

Officers' lounge

Science labs

Medical labs

Aft lounge

Stern sensors

Liquid-fuel rockets

Forward laser battery

Bridge

Captain's quarters

Executive officer's quarters

Crew quarters

Forward sensors

Main hangar

Hyperdrive engines

Engine cooling system

Forward cargo hangar

Anti-gravity pods

Anti-gravity propulsion system

Fuel tank

Bow sensors

Bow laser battery

Observation lounge

Hyperdrive
engines

The hyperdrive is an extremely powerful system that generates the enormous amounts of energy needed to open a spatial "window" and propel Prometheus through it. On the other side, in a parallel dimension called "hyperspace", the ship travels faster than light, covering interstellar distances in minutes. A very powerful generator is needed to drive the hyperdrive. Prometheus has a naquadria reactor, coupled with a cooling system to stop it overheating.

Construction
material

Prometheus was built from a trinium alloy, first discovered on PXY-887. As raw ore, trinium is very brittle, but once forged it is a hundred times stronger and lighter than steel. The SGC set up a secret mine on another planet to obtain enough trinium to supply its starship programme.

Weaponry

The ship is designed to carry eight X-302s. Each has two AIM-120A air-to-air missiles that can be fired through the launch bay while in flight. The ship's advanced sensor and weapons technology lets it locate and destroy ships and weapons at long range. To thank the SGC for saving Hala, his home planet, from the Replicators (in M06.11), Thor supplied very powerful Asgard shields and high-tech weapons for Prometheus.

Fuel
source

Naquadria, an unstable radioactive variant of naquadah, discovered on the planet Kelowna. The SGC obtained several hundred kilos of it to develop hyperspace technology.

Sublight engines

These are used for take-off, landing and short-range space travel. They let Prometheus accelerate to over half the speed of light and reach orbit in under 30 seconds. Inertial dampers and artificial gravity limit the effects of acceleration.

SGC Command
Mission Report 01.07

The Nox

Classified document
Enter code: *******
Entered by: Col. Jack O'Neill

Believe me, that was one heck of a mission! Hunting invisible creatures, fine, but running into old snakehead again, plus all that stuff about "bringing the dead back to life", was downright weird!

Image bank

Apophis and three of his Jaffa also arrived on P3X-774 to hunt the Fenri

Daniel tried to glean information about the Nox from Ohper, the elder, but he refused to teach him

After sending Apophis back through the Stargate, Nafrayu and Anteaus took the members of SG-1 home

After a visit from the top brass, we were told SG-1 had to acquire more alien technology. I tried to explain to the Secretary that these advanced alien cultures aren't big on sharing. Then Teal'c, out of the blue, revealed the existence of a creature able to make itself invisible that the Goa'uld were trying to capture.

So off we went to find it too. Trouble was, the Gate vanished and Apophis showed up with a few Jaffa. I'm not proud to admit they killed us all… At least, that's what we thought. Then we woke up among these little creatures, the Nox, with hair like haystacks. They'd brought us back with something they call the Life Ritual, and they'd taken our weapons because they're extremely peaceful.

At first they seemed dumbfounded, but they learned to speak our language perfectly in minutes. Boy, they could teach Daniel a thing or two! They'd also revived one of Apophis's Jaffa, Shak'l. But when we tried to explain he was a bad guy, they didn't get it. They were defenceless, with no way of stopping the Goa'uld and, thanks to us, right in Apophis's sights.

Then it turned out it was the Nox, not the Fenri, who could disappear, which made them even more vulnerable. We negotiated all we could, but they wouldn't give back our weapons or let us teach them to defend themselves. Even when Shak'l attacked Teal'c and the Nox woman, Lya, they refused to fight. The Nox revived Lya, but they can't stay invisible during the ceremony, which made me pretty nervous. I tried to find a way to beat Apophis without weapons, but I needn't have bothered. The Nox made him vanish and peacefully shipped him back through the Stargate. We warned them he'd be back, but they weren't interested. They just wanted us gone too.

Before we left, they showed us their real homes, an extraordinary city hidden by shields and floating in the sky. Anyway, we all learned an interesting lesson. But I swear, next time Teal'c has a bright idea, I'm going fishing!

Daniel: I felt them kill me, though. I mean… I thought that… that we were dead. Aren't we dead?

End of report

Nox Life Ritual

The Nox, a highly civilised people, have the power to bring the dead back to life. They do not recognise the concepts of "good" and "evil", and revive people of any race. Colonel O'Neill, Captain Carter and Dr. Jackson all benefited from the "Life Ritual" ceremony when they were killed by Apophis.

The ceremony must take place as soon as possible after death. The Nox use the collective power of their minds to restore life to the bodies of the dead. During the ritual, they cannot hide themselves.

Episodes in this issue

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