Develop your country with a stargate

[sirocco]

I tried to imagine what a sensible nation would do if it discovered a buried Stargate with a complete user guide.

Would it start exploring the other worlds like the SGC did in the original series? colonize them? create a whole secret economy around the gate i.e selling Earth tech in exchange of alien tech or goods? move its population over to a richer pristine planet?

Would a democratic country do better and be more respectful of alien cultures than a slightly less democratic country? How would it change politics and international relations back on Earth? How would they even deal with the fact that independence in outer colonies is just as easy to get as burying a complex alien device in the ground?

What's your opinion?

[Sarevok]

Depends on the writers. If Stargate was a Chinese TV show I am pretty sure the Chinese SG-1 team would be just as heroic as O'Neil and friends.

The point I am making is that Earths success with the Stargate program depended a lot on luck and author fiat. Realistically with competent aliens Earth is doomed no matter who finds it.

[sirocco]

Well I was into a more realistic setting, like what would the actual Chinese Republic do with a stargate?

I personnally think that they would not steal alien technology but on the contrary foster partnership with other races (less advanced and/or more advanced) without ever taking sides. As long as there is business, they won't get involved in internal politics.

Would they favor colonization to reduce the impact of their huge population on their own soil? Well they may try but remember that what's important for them is also being able to control said population. So I guess they would rather monitor all outer space activty with governmental agencies operating from Earth or at least from a firmly held colony.

[Kingmaker]

Realistically, any Earth-bound nation would be idiotic to pick a fight with a space-faring power, however unpalatable. I would think that the best thing for any recon team to do if they found goa'uld presence on a world would be to turn around immediately and go back home. I expect that most nations with the resources to operate a stargate program would use it to acquire valuable resources and technologies from off world. Less goa'uld fighting, and more naquadah mining.

As far as international relations, a weak nation will be forced to give it up (probably to a UN organization that is functionally a puppet of the Security Council, who will feud over the gate constantly). A strong nation will face demands to give it up, and will probably tell those making the demands to fuck right off.

Would they favor colonization to reduce the impact of their huge population on their own soil? Well they may try but remember that what's important for them is also being able to control said population.

Controlling a stargate-based colony would be simple so long as you could control knowledge of how the Stargate works. Any off-world colony is going to be logistically dependent on the homeworld for quite a long time, thanks to lack of infrastructure or industry.

[aussiemuscle308]

unlike the u.s, china's govt doesn't need to passify the people and can pretty much do as it sees fit. (eg damming of the yankzee river). I'm sure if the u.s military had not kept it secret it would have taken decades for all the arguments and committees to actually decide whether or not to use it.

[Jawawithagun]

Before 1990 - the country just doesn't have the money and the manpower for an SG program. Plus, it would be incredibly hard to keep it hidden from the Russians, who would just grab it (or pressure the government into handing it over).
After 1990 - a political and funding nightmare with the SG program probably handed over to NATO.

[adam_grif]

After they figure out what it is and make contact with hostile aliens, they will probably bury it.

Then the whole galaxy is overrun with replicators 7 years later.

[Crazedwraith]

Umm... the replicators would not have come to the Milky Way/Earth if not for the SGC's involvement with the Asgard, at least not without eating everything between here and Ida.

[sirocco]

Before 1990 - the country just doesn't have the money and the manpower for an SG program. Plus, it would be incredibly hard to keep it hidden from the Russians, who would just grab it (or pressure the government into handing it over).
After 1990 - a political and funding nightmare with the SG program probably handed over to NATO.

In the case of China, between 1969 and 1988 they weren't the best friends of Russia. On the contrary it seems to me that they were competing for who would be the best representative of socialist ideology. So wouldn't they be glad to have a stargate and kept it hidden as much as possible from the Russians?

I do understand the political nightmare over a SG program for any country in the world, but what about the funding issue? If you have one of the two stargate and the egyptian DHD, actually you don't really need any external energy source. At best the facility to store it. Everything else could be scavenged or bought from whatever world you've travelled to.

[Lonestar]

He isn't from China, dingus.

[Jawawithagun]

Sorry, should have made that more clear. I was NOT talking about China. My comment was about East Germany.

[sirocco]

Oh sorry I didn't know that.
But what about current Germany? With France, it is one of the leading nation of the European Union. Wouldn't they have the means to lead an ambitious SG program?

[Eternal_Freedom]

Presently, I really doubt any democratic government has the resources available to run the SGC. Heck, Season 1 stated it cost the over 7 billion (I'm fairly certain) dollars a year. In an era when democratic governments are squabbling over scant tens of millions, that kind of money just isn't available, or if it is, it would be political suicide to dunk moeny into the project while cutting stuff elsewhere.

Now, a non-democratic regime, that's a different story. Suppose, say, North Korea got their hands on the gate. They could storm ahead with a stargate program without worrying about the cost to the people, because they just don't care.

Also, large population countries like China, I can see them trading advanced agricultural methods to lower-tech worlds in exchange for a large chunk of the food increase, or for allowing Chinese farmers to cultivate massive farms on offworld sites.

[Jawawithagun]

Oh sorry I didn't know that.
But what about current Germany? With France, it is one of the leading nation of the European Union. Wouldn't they have the means to lead an ambitious SG program?

I can't really say. I haven't lived there for some years now. But I don't think the political climate is conductive for such an undertaking. It might be possible that they'll run a small research program, actively avoiding Goa'uld contact though. Possibly giving development aid to some of the planets.

[sirocco]

Presently, I really doubt any democratic government has the resources available to run the SGC. Heck, Season 1 stated it cost the over 7 billion (I'm fairly certain) dollars a year. In an era when democratic governments are squabbling over scant tens of millions, that kind of money just isn't available, or if it is, it would be political suicide to dunk moeny into the project while cutting stuff elsewhere.

We'll you also have to consider that it was because they were doing a lot of things themselves, including cracking the code and supplying the gate with energy. Were you to have a DHD it would be far simpler. It provides the energy to the gate directly and once you understand that you need 7 coordinates to dial a destination, there's only a finite number of combinations available.

On the plus side, SG program was first a military program then a scientific program. They were losing money because there was really nothing to gain from it. Add to that all the troubles they brought to earth and the whole galaxy. Later however they started to develop new devices thanks to alien technology and that made them slightly less a deadweight for US budget.

In the scope of this thread, the idea is basically to think of new ways to make stargate technology beneficial.

[Skgoa]

7 billion USD? My country could afford that. But our wise leaders would secretly hand it over to the US, anyways.

We'll you also have to consider that it was because they were doing a lot of things themselves, including cracking the code and supplying the gate with energy. Were you to have a DHD it would be far simpler. It provides the energy to the gate directly and once you understand that you need 7 coordinates to dial a destination, there's only a finite number of combinations available.

I think you might get a little surprise if someone actually calculates how many combinations there are.

On the plus side, SG program was first a military program then a scientific program. They were losing money because there was really nothing to gain from it. Add to that all the troubles they brought to earth and the whole galaxy. Later however they started to develop new devices thanks to alien technology and that made them slightly less a deadweight for US budget.

In the scope of this thread, the idea is basically to think of new ways to make stargate technology beneficial.

Power generation, advance materials... there is quite a lot that could get applied in commercial products.

[Jawawithagun]

7 billion USD? My country could afford that.

Hidden in the Aufbau Ost budget?

[adam_grif]

Umm... the replicators would not have come to the Milky Way/Earth if not for the SGC's involvement with the Asgard, at least not without eating everything between here and Ida.

Yes, which is something they would have done soon enough had it not been for SG-1 helping the Asgard. The Asgard may well have come to the Milky Way even without contact with SG-1 in search of ancient tech.

[mr friendly guy]

I would most likely do similar things except try and develop the technology for the civillian market and make some profit for government run companies which we will not privatise. This company would of course be separate from the military, so we avoid the problems the Chinese found themselves, when they realise some parts of the PLA were more interested in making money than actual preparing to fight.

I also should point out its also stated that Russia had no interest in maintaining a fully done Stargate program, ie most probably beyond their budgets. Thus I wonder how many countries could afford to not just manage the Stargate program but also fund the research into reversing alien tech, and mass producing it. In the late 90s when SG 1 was set I would only imagine the US having the budget. In more modern times if there wasn't an economic crisis I could see the US, EU and China managing to find the funds to run a stargate program. Thus the OP might not be applicable to countries who don't fight into the above 3 political entities.

[sirocco]

What about just building an economy around the stargate like if it was an airport instead of having right away a whole SG program?

At first, you'd just need to fund the complex to house the gate and all necessary commodities for gate travellers. And probably the first exploration missions to find the safest and most profitable destinations.

Later you could ask the US/EU/China/etc or private companies to participate in your program through indirect funding.

[Chirios]

Botswana

The Stargate is found in Botswana in the 60's. By the end of the 60's people have translated the instruction manual, but wrongly believe that any reference to "doorways to other worlds" are simply references to a long-lost religion. Historians and biological scientists are baffled, as the presence of the Stargate suggests that there was a fully functioning civilisation in Southern Africa, most likely during the "Green Sahara" phase of history, but that somehow it completely dissapeared.

The Stargate becomes the main attraction in the Museum of Botswana.

After the Ion-Trap method for mass spectroscopy is invented in 1989, scientists discover that the Stargate contains a completely new element. They name this element Botswanium. Botswanium is a metal, with high electrical conductivity, eventually, the idea that the Stargate might be a machine is seen as more and more likely.

By 1995, after the end of the basic testing, Botswana has a reasonable electrical grid, and so is attempts to work the Stargate, with assistance from scientists supplied by the UK and the US (the two main charitable donors to Botswana). After four years, they manage to open the Stargate, accidentally killing one of their researchers in the process.

June 21st 1995: The first ever interplanetary astronaut, one William Ngwako, heads through the Stargate onto Abydos, along with 200 UN soldiers. They find the Abydosians, however, because in this timeline the link between the Go'auld and ancient Egypt isn't found, they find that they cannot converse and head back through the Stargate.

1996: They find out about Ra and the Go'auld.

1997: It is decided that the Go'auld cannot be ignored, especially considering they have interplanetary starships. Sooner or later, the Go'auld will find them, and it's better to be forwarned and prepared than it is to try and stick your heads in the sand.

1998: The inauguration of the UN Stargate Commission. The other, More Developed Economies fear what each other will do with the stargate if it is held in one of their countries. Botswana, as the country which already is the location of the Stargate, is chosen as a suitable alternative. The UN security council agrees to foot the bill for all expenses incurred in running the Stargate, and increases total funding for infrastructure development.

The Commission's purpose is the same as the SGC's: to find technologies to help defend against alien incursion. The rules are simple: all alien technology is to be made public, and any new information about aliens is to be shared amongst all members of the security council + Botswana since they have locational control over the Stargate.

The Future: The technology comes in pretty much the same manner as it does in the normal SGC show, but instead of it being kept a secret, it is made public. Human existence becomes a lot better in a much shorter period of time, but Humanity never attempts to colonise planets in it's own solar system, reasoning that there are plenty of uninhabited planets that are perfectly conducive to long term human occupation.