Ancient Cityship
The Ancient Cityship are a type of starships that features in Stargate Atlantis.
Contents |
History
The Cityship were a class of vessel created by the Ancients during the height of their civilization.
Overview
The ship is a snowflake-shaped platform dotted with skyscrapers, lower buildings in the six outlying sections, with the control tower in the center. However, most systems can be activated from an auxiliary control room. Due to its enormous size, the ship has been compared in size and interior space to Manhattan. Most of these ships carry a Stargate, usually located in the control room. Curiously, the city ship does not have a traditional outer hull. Instead, the atmosphere is contained within the vessel by a huge energy shield spanned around the city. Also, most of the structures are surprisingly fragile, requiring the aforementioned shield to protect them from naturally occurring phenomena such as hurricanes.
The city ship, as with most Ancient technology, is powered by Zero Point Modules, requiring three to achieve full functionality. However, most systems, like the energy shield, can be activated with only a single ZPM, and day-to-day power can even be supplied by Naqahdah generators. In emergencies where no ZPMs are available, some systems, like the shield, can be activated by harnessing energy from lightning.
The ship is also equipped with several systems encountered on most interstellar vessels, such as long range sensors, internal transporters, and sophisticated computer systems. The advanced internal sensors, that can also be used to track life forms, enable the City to sense threats, including chemical and biological ones. The City can automatically seal or open sections of the city to secure its population. It also carries a complement of smaller ships, Puddle Jumpers. These are stored in two Jumper bays. One is located directly above the Control Room, from which the Jumpers can be either sent through the Stargate or exit the City via the retractable roof, and the second is located in the lower sections of the city. Atlantis also has five desalination plants to supply the city with fresh water, which it stores in large tanks in the superstructure.
The enormous vessel can descend into the atmosphere of a planet, and often resides on top of an outpost. But the ship can easily land on the ocean of any planet. Engines are lined on the bottom side of the city ship, with six sets of engines on each of the piers. This configuration was encountered on both Atlantis and the Asuran city-ship. However, when Atlantis left Earth for the Pegasus Galaxy, the city was equipped with two on each of the three large piers.[8] Interstellar travel, or even intergalactic, is achieved by the activation of the stardrive. The drive requires an enormous amount of power that can only be achieved by all three ZPMs working simultaneously. However, the Atlantis expedition managed to bypass the energy requirements of three ZPMs by using a geothermal power station and a single ZPM to get Atlantis into space and away from the planet. When in flight, the city is piloted from the Ancient Control Chair.
The activation of the stardrive is automatically preceded by the powering up of the inertial dampers, also requiring a significant amount of power.
Vessels
- Atlantis :
Appearances
- Stargate: Atlantis:
External Link
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