Replicator (Stargate)
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Template:Confusing {{Stargate race |image=Image:Replicator top.jpg |race=Replicator |species=Mechanical |homeworld=Homeworld of Reese |government=Reese, then Fifth, then RepliCarter |alliances=None |previous_alliances=None |first=Nemesis }} In the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, the Replicators are a race of self-replicating machines.
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Composition
The vast majority of the Replicators are composed of modular blocks which are created using nanotechnology and have very high intercommunicativity. They are very versatile and can self-assemble into forms, the most common being the small spider variation illustrated here; much larger forms have been observed, including whole spacecraft on a scale comparable to Goa'uld Ha'tak.
Behavior
Replicators exhibit the ability to rapidly absorb any superior technologies they encounter, particularly those used to contain or destroy them, although it is not clear if they are sentient. (In contrast, the human-form Replicators are sentient; see below).
Replicators can form raw materials into new blocks, although the quality of the replicated blocks is based in part on what raw materials are available. They are generally driven to assimilate new technology, often passing up familiar or less advanced technology in order to acquire more advanced technology.
History
The Replicators were originally created by a gynoid (female android) named Reese, who had been constructed by an advanced human culture in the Milky Way. Reese had the resemblance of a young woman but the mind of a spoiled child who lacked the ability to comprehend the consequences of her actions and understand evil in any meaningful way. She was also incredibly inattentive, quick to have temper tantrums, and difficult to reason with. She displayed severe mood swings that, coupled with her formidable physical strength, were often disasterous.
Reese's retelling of the following story is the only known account of the following events so therefore may have been self-serving and/or inaccurate.
She created the first Replicators as toys under her direct control which alarmed the denizens of her world, who claimed she was "built wrong." Out of fear of being destroyed, she instructed her toys to carry out the primary missions of self-preservation (of herself and them) and replication. However, the Replicators soon escaped her control and began to destroy her world, presumably by converting every useable substance into Replicator blocks. Reese escaped the catastrophe by "going to sleep." It is believed that her "father" put her to sleep due to a fault in her emotional and/or developmental state by the demands of his society.
The Replicators soon discovered a way to leave this galaxy, where they encountered various other civilizations, most notably the Asgard. They mostly limited themselves to the Asgard home galaxy with only one known attempt to return to the Milky Way (Nemesis) until the creation of the humanform replicators drove them to attack the Milky Way.
Encounter with the SGC
Much later, after they had spread amongst the stars and become a potential threat to the galaxy, Reese was recovered by the SGC. She was retrieved from her barren homeworld in the episode "Menace" and reactivated. After a near-repeat of what happened to her planet at the SGC, she was killed. Her body ultimately yielded the key to capturing the Replicators, as one key command first installed by Reese was still present in all replicators that followed: "Come Forth."
The Rise of the Human-Form Replicators
The Asgard used this command to cull and trap the Replicators in a time dilation field where time would flow 104 times slower than outside the bubble, allowing the Asgard a considerable amount of time to focus on the Replicator threat. However, when the Replicators arrived and found Reese's body, they hailed her as their creator and began to construct "cellular" blocks to construct a Human-like replicator in her image, whom they named First. Though the standard replicators, constructed of the common, larger blocks, would not have been able to break through the protective case protecting the time dilation device, the new "cells" of the Human-like replicator First could easily penetrate the case and reverse the time dilation field so that time would flow 102 times faster than normal.
As several years passed inside the bubble, the Replicators began to evolve the new human-form Replicators using nanotechnology and created several more. In addition, they eliminated any topography and signs of civilization that once existed on the former Asgard world, save for the time-dilation device, and completely covered its surface in Replicator blocks. The discovery of Reese's body brought about the realization of their true purpose, universal domination. In the wake of this aggressive offensive within the time-dilation field, the Asgard requested the aid of SG-1.
By the time SG-1 had arrived to assist, four other human-form Replicators had been created in addition to First. They learned that the initial flaw with Reese, her lack of humanity, was later corrected in the creation of Fifth. His humanity, however, was seen as a flaw by the others (named First, Second, etc.), and removed from the subsequent versions, namely Sixth, created during SG-1's stay.
Fifth's "flaw" was used by SG-1 to trap the Replicators on the planet with the time dilation device. However, his humanity also made him much more dangerous than any other Replicator in existence -- as he points out to Samantha Carter in the episode "New Order," while the other self-aware Replicators were consumed with self-replication, they had no real concept of cruelty or torture because of their lack of humanity, something he knows all too well. The other human-form Replicators were destroyed in New Order, leaving Fifth in control of all Replicators.
Creation of an Anti-Replicator Weapon
Up to the eighth season, no truly effective defense against Replicators en masse existed. While projectile weapons were effective to a degree against small numbers, Replicators could easily overwhelm whole Asgard ships. However, the Asgard commander, Thor, managed to "commandeer" Col. O'Neill while he still possessed the knowledge of the Ancients in his mind and linked him to his ship, the Daniel Jackson. By doing this, O'Neill was able to design an effective, anti-Replicator weapon which works by permanently rendering a Replicator block/nanite caught in its fire incapable of communicating with other blocks, resulting in the Replicator literally "falling to pieces." Thor adapted the weapon to be used as an Asgard ship's armament, capable of destroying Replicators for miles from the blast site.
Invasion of the Milky Way
Fifth, still infatuated with Carter, created a Replicator clone of her to be his mate. Unfortunately, she found him just as repulsive as the original did, albeit for different reasons. This doppelgänger (nicknamed "RepliCarter" by fans) eventually tricked the real Carter into sharing the design of the anti-Replicator weapon with her, and learned how to defeat it. She destroyed Fifth and escaped through the Stargate. In very short order, all Replicators were immune to the Ancient disruptor, once again a significant threat to the galaxy.
During season 8, the Replicators launched a full-scale attack on the Goa'uld system lords, the dominant powers in the Milky Way Galaxy. Unable to contest the vastly superior numbers and technology of the Replicators, Goa'uld forces were rapidly eliminated and assimilated by Replicator forces.
The Jaffa rebellion had the misfortune of engaging in a critical mission to eliminate the Goa'uld system lords during the Replicator invasion. Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson were present as observers to the mission, and when the Replicators intercepted and compromised the mission's viability, Daniel Jackson was unfortunately abducted by RepliCarter.
RepliCarter's purpose in abducting Daniel Jackson was to probe his mind for subconsciously-buried Ancient knowledge retained from his Ascension. Specifically, she was searching for technology or weaponry that could eliminate the Replicator threat. Eventually, such a weapon was located at the temple of Dakara, a Goa'uld historical monument located deep in Ba'al's territory.
Elimination of the Replicators
The Replicators immediately set their huge fleet on a course to destroy the Dakara Superweapon. The Jaffa rebellion, including Teal'c, had occupied the temple in an attempt to rekindle the failing movement. Anubis, in control of Ba'al's assets, had also routed forces from the Replicator conflict to eliminate the Jaffa rebellion.
In the meantime, Ba'al had contacted Stargate Command with disturbing information. The destructive potential of the weapon at Dakara could potentially destroy all life in the galaxy. Anubis, however, would survive the weapon's activation and consequently had no reservations about employing the weapon.
Ostensibly, Anubis allowed the Jaffa rebellion to occupy Dakara in order to eliminate the movement's primary elements upon the weapon's activation. The Replicators would also be dealt with upon the weapon's activation. In effect, Anubis would be killing two birds with one stone, allowing for the simultaneous elimination of both threats. Anubis sent Ba'al to Dakara to capture the Ancient weapon and crush the rebellion. After arriving in Dakara, Ba'al demanded the surrender of the Jaffa rebels. Teal'c stalled for time, allowing Lt. Col. Carter to locate the Ancient weapon. Before Ba'al could react, the Replicator fleet, largely outnumbering Ba'al's, appeared and started to destroy the fleets of both Ba'al and the Jaffa rebels.
With Ba'al forced to help get the machine working, he and Lt. Col. Carter successfully reconfigured the machine to destroy all Replicators anywhere in the galaxy by opening all the Stargates at once. Daniel Jackson buys them time by overpowering RepliCarter through the link she'd initiated and sending new instructions to the rest of the Replicators, literally freezing them in their steps. Then, RepliCarter regained control and impaled Daniel Jackson with a liquid metal blade similar to the T-1000's in Terminator 2. The Dakara weapon fired and destroyed all the Replicators, including the ship Daniel Jackson was on, thus ending the war with the Asgard, Goa'uld and Humans. (Daniel Jackson ascends, escaping permanent death). The Jaffa rebels infiltrate Ba'al's ship, only to have him "beam out" before they are able to kill him.
Technology
The Replicators are presented as being the most technologically advanced species in the Stargate universe, with the exception of the Ancients. They not only swiftly assimilate foreign technology but also enhance it; usually far beyond the understanding of its previous users. For example, Replicators modify a Goa'uld ha'tak to travel at 800 times its maximum speed, and utilize an Asgard time-dilation device to accelerate time (which may or may not be a regular function of the device; season 5, "Enemies") and escape the powerful pull of a black hole (season 8, New Order).
Replicators are impervious to all known handheld energy weapons. Though kinetic energy based weapons can shatter them, the Replicators have demonstrated a limited ability to reassemble from the scattered blocks and continue with their objectives. However, this ability was lost as the show progressed. The human-form Replicators furthered the Replicator invulnerability as their advanced make-up rendered them totally indestructible to bullets as well as energy based attacks.
To defend themselves at close quarters, a Replicator is capable of spraying huge amounts of an assumed acidic liquid, possibly containing destructive nanites. This liquid is capable of penetrating all metals, even the nigh-on invincible armour worn by the Kull Warriors. The human-form Replicators instead prefer to use either their massive strength, or restructure their hand into a sword with which to impale their foes; this is how both the System Lord Yu and Daniel Jackson were killed by RepliCarter.
It is speculated that the Replicators acquired their knowledge from many other races, and by pooling it together, they were able to surpass all other living species. It is also possible that they have encountered other races, prior to encountering the Asgard, whose technology was assimilated as well by the Replicators. This would explain how the Replicators escaped from their own galaxy and into that of the Asgard without encountering any other races within the Milky Way galaxy. Their prime source of knowledge would most likely be the Asgard, who were extremely powerful in their own right.