I know, it's a shame that the show's totally never getting into the long term side-effects of the gene therapy. It would be fun.
It's not so much that Atlantis hurts them (Naturals and Artificials alike), more that it's a physiological adaptation. Everyone who has the Gene produces seriously elevated ATA-S levels once they've been in Atlantis a while - you use the chemical in day-to-day interactions with the city on both a conscious and unconscious level (Ancient tech has both a physical and mental component in its use; it stands to reason that a chemical is produced in the bloodstream, a specific neurotransmitter, that's unique to Ancient Tech usage. Over prolonged exposure, 'normal' production levels of the chemical (which is burned off in usage of the tech) become much higher).
Given the SGC's tendency towards 'lifers', and the need for ATA+ people in Atlantis to start with, no one who has the Gene rotates back to Earth much. Those who do so while in their first year have only minor side effects; they were mild enough that no one realized it was Ancient Tech withdrawl. It's when you've spent 2-3 years stationed to the city that your 'normal' biochemistry permanently shifts to higher ATA-S production.
The trick of it, is that those with the natural Gene also have the ability to reabsorb what ATA-S they don't burn off. Those who got the therapy didn't get that feature because they didn't know about it. "Naturals" have step-down side effects, but their bodies are designed to handle them so they're non-lethal. It's the "Artificials" who begin showing symptoms at 3 weeks away from tech - the amount of time it takes the chemical to build up to critical levels in their system.
See, it was assumed everything to do with ATA-S was on the one gene. It wasn't. Now, hypothetically, they could put the adults who received the treatment into a 2-3 year stepdown program in Antarctica. But the children whose bodies have known only the high ATA-S levels and who don't have the gene for reabsorbtion are never going to be able to function at a lowered level. It's affected the development of their nervous system. The adults who got the therapy already had fully developed nervous systems, so it was a lesser adjustment. "Natural" kids who grow up in the Ancient Tech heavy environ *can* adapt down, but it's a painful process.
In this particular instance, I don't think Atlantis is intentionally vindictive so much as thoughtless. It doesn't occur to the city that people would have the gene artificially, and the city doesn't realize the harm it's doing to the "Artificials" by providing so much stimulation. The dark side isn't so much that the city is cruel, but that there's a price to pay for access to all of this technology - for the 'magic' gene therapy.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-07-28 07:19 am (UTC)I know, it's a shame that the show's totally never getting into the long term side-effects of the gene therapy. It would be fun.
It's not so much that Atlantis hurts them (Naturals and Artificials alike), more that it's a physiological adaptation. Everyone who has the Gene produces seriously elevated ATA-S levels once they've been in Atlantis a while - you use the chemical in day-to-day interactions with the city on both a conscious and unconscious level (Ancient tech has both a physical and mental component in its use; it stands to reason that a chemical is produced in the bloodstream, a specific neurotransmitter, that's unique to Ancient Tech usage. Over prolonged exposure, 'normal' production levels of the chemical (which is burned off in usage of the tech) become much higher).
Given the SGC's tendency towards 'lifers', and the need for ATA+ people in Atlantis to start with, no one who has the Gene rotates back to Earth much. Those who do so while in their first year have only minor side effects; they were mild enough that no one realized it was Ancient Tech withdrawl. It's when you've spent 2-3 years stationed to the city that your 'normal' biochemistry permanently shifts to higher ATA-S production.
The trick of it, is that those with the natural Gene also have the ability to reabsorb what ATA-S they don't burn off. Those who got the therapy didn't get that feature because they didn't know about it. "Naturals" have step-down side effects, but their bodies are designed to handle them so they're non-lethal. It's the "Artificials" who begin showing symptoms at 3 weeks away from tech - the amount of time it takes the chemical to build up to critical levels in their system.
See, it was assumed everything to do with ATA-S was on the one gene. It wasn't. Now, hypothetically, they could put the adults who received the treatment into a 2-3 year stepdown program in Antarctica. But the children whose bodies have known only the high ATA-S levels and who don't have the gene for reabsorbtion are never going to be able to function at a lowered level. It's affected the development of their nervous system. The adults who got the therapy already had fully developed nervous systems, so it was a lesser adjustment. "Natural" kids who grow up in the Ancient Tech heavy environ *can* adapt down, but it's a painful process.
In this particular instance, I don't think Atlantis is intentionally vindictive so much as thoughtless. It doesn't occur to the city that people would have the gene artificially, and the city doesn't realize the harm it's doing to the "Artificials" by providing so much stimulation. The dark side isn't so much that the city is cruel, but that there's a price to pay for access to all of this technology - for the 'magic' gene therapy.