Unas as hosts

[Svarog]

I'm not sure if this goes in this forum but...

I've been thinking about the Unas as hosts. Why don't they use them? In the movie Ra originally had an Unas host and came to earth where he took a boy as a host. He says it was because our bodies are easier to heal. Yet they obviously aren't. The Unas exhibited incredible healing powers. For example in Thor's Hammer they shot the unas, it had a big hole in it, they left and it healed itself, no sarcophagus necessary.

Another thing, why don't they give out any Unas hosts any more? Even if they are impossible to heal they still have tremendous strength, are very durable, able to hibernate, amongst other qualities.

I thought of a few reasons why not, but does anyone know of a reason given by the show?

I thought that it might be that the symbiote can heal it easy enough but the sarcophagus couldn't, though this doesn't really make much sense in terms of biology, since they could simply replicate what they do themselves and do it using a machine.

Maybe their homeworld is now a protected planet, the asgard thought it too much a disadvantage to give the Goa'uld such strong creatures as hosts. Then Ra made up some story as to why he had to get an inferior race (us) as hosts.

 

[PTeppic]

Some good questions.

Firstly, in some forums there is debate whether the end of film shows a Unas or not. It doesn't really look like any of the ones we have seen since.

My theory for that is that having left the Unas home-world those first blended Goa'uld/Unas explorers were unable to get back - possibly used the gate to dial out for the first time and were unable to find the co-ordinates to return... Either way, for some reason they/Ra changed host into perhaps a more intelligent host, or a more dexterous one. The Unas host(s) would therefore die. It is entirely possible that this new host species, as seen in the film, had a genetic fault (where have we now seen this - mini-spoiler: end of series 5), perhaps the blending has an effect on the hosts, or the sarcophasgus has degenerative effects (since we have seen evidence of that). Either way, the location of Earth those thousands of years ago would be a coup for that first Goa'uld, finding bodies which are quick to learn, dexterous, and easily healed by the sarcophagus (and indeed repairable indefintely).

[A second problem is the old continuity between film and SG-1 series... which they have been happy enough to bin when it suits them in the series, and hope people ignore or work round it... ]

I wouldn't have thought the Asgard would protect the Unas/Goa'uld homeworld from the Goa'uld - it would also be protecting the Goa'uld from themselves...

Finally, even as terrible as the Unas are, fierce, very long lived naturally, resilient, regenerative, etc. I think it was in "Thor's Hammer" that Teal'c implied that there may have been other species used as hosts as well as humans and Unas. Imagine a little Asgard with glowing eyes... :alienooh: :rolly2: Since we haven't really met too many of those non-humanoid races yet, it's hard to know how useful their bodies would be as hosts compared to Unas or human.

 

[Svarog]

Wow it's amazing how much you guys can remember this is like the third time i've gone to a transcript and find the thing you're talking about is mentioned on only one or two lines.

I'll put the quotes here.

There are other species far older that have been used as hosts, some of immeasurable power and savagery.

-Teal'c

Human, you can save yourself, why do you stay? Jaffa, why do you ally yourself with a slave? Once, the Goa'uld were all as Unas, we were few, but we ruled millions, we fed upon the weak to keep ourselves strong. I will take pleasure in killing and devouring you both.

-the Unas trapped in the same cave as Jack and Teal'c

There are also other references to the Unas having great regenerative powers-even without a symbiote, though without they don't regenerate as well.

I like you not able to get back idea. Since there seems to be no evidence of Goa'uld cities yet i think that would be quite a good theory. But if it was on the Abydonian catouche then surely the Goa'uld would know it's location. They didn't mention anywhere else they could have obtained the address.

Hmm wouldn't a Goa'uld queen be able to get rid of regressive genes?

 

[webmouse]

There could also be a vanity component. Unas are -- well, not pretty. It was clear in COTG that Amonet was seeking a particularly attractive host to move into. Ra was very into his personal appearance, too. I guess the royal robes just didn't fit as well on the Unas as they do on humans.

 

[Svarog]

Hmm hadn't thought of that, although it does look rather fiersome. (sp) and that Goa'uld love fierce. Just look at their staff weapons-they look real cool, i think in the warrior jack proved how much better P90's were and how good-looking staffs were (hope that doesn't need a spoiler space).

Still doesn't really explain why they don't have lower Unas class warriors rather than jaffa.

 

[PTeppic]

Was the Unas planet in "First Ones" an original "yellow" address from the Cartouche, or a "red" address from "Fifth Race"? [My memory fails on this one ]

 

[Svarog]

I didn't know they got any addresses other than Othala from the Fifth Race. What exactly do you mean by yellow/red addresses?

 

[webmouse]

If the symbiote can take over a Jaffa (as Teal'c says in "1969"), then why not use Jaffa as hosts?

Spoiler

We know from "Cure" that the Jaffa were bred to act as incubators to increase the chances of successful blending with a future host -- since prior to the use of Jaffa that chance of blending was 50-50.

It isn't that the Jaffa are a "slave race" since that is the view of all races to the Goa'uld. Everyone is just "a nice place to live."

If Jaffa were specifically bred only to carry larva, then that would be a reason they couldn't act as hosts. Their genetic structure might be in some way different allowing them only incubator capacity, but never full blending.

As for the Unas, mighty as they are, they may lack dexterity and may be harder for a sarc to repair than humans. Also, they may not have the higher brain capacity of humans, since blending (willing or not) gives access to all that the host has. The Unas may not have had that much to offer the Goa'uld when compared to humans.

Add the more attractive packaging and humans have a steady line of employment in onboard hosting

 

[PTeppic]

Originally posted by Svarog
I didn't know they got any addresses other than Othala from the Fifth Race. What exactly do you mean by yellow/red addresses?

VERY minor spoiler to mid-season 2, and end of season 3:

Spoiler

When he re-wrote the dialling computer software, he added in a couple of dozen new gate addresses, implicitly not known by the Goa'uld. One such planet was Kheb, in "Maternal Instinct". I am fairly sure there are other red ones which have been referred to too.

 

[Svarog]

Are you sure? They learnt the addy for Kheb because they knew a myth about Osiris hiding from someone at Kheb and Bra'tac knew wher Osiris hid. Therefore it was known to the Goa'uld. When did they mention this?

 

[webmouse]

I haven't seen "Maternal Instinct" in awhile, but I think PTeppic is correct. There were the addresses from Abydos. These would be known to the Goa'uld. And there was another set addresses (from "Fifth Race"?), many of which were the same as those on Abydos. One list was coded red and one list coded yellow.

By comparing the two lists, SGC was able to rule out those planets that were on both, leaving only a few that were on the second list only. Bra'tac was able to say in what system the legend put Kheb, thus reducing the list further and allowing the team to find Kheb. Of course, Apophis found it, too.