Hovering above the Colosseum, where holograms strove to recreate reality, I watched a spectacle that foreshadowed Earth's future—the triumph of screens. For the second time in my reign, this place, not a theater or a stadium, became the arena for the rallying of the standard. A place large enough to accommodate all the male Jaffa who comprise my army. The women, out of simple practicality, watched the broadcast from their homes, as did, of course, the residents of Urvashi, who were not allowed here. Not to mention that the Jaffa, while they would not harm my slave, are capable of showing their contempt. Therefore, I try to distinguish between Jaffa and humans.
"My faithful warriors," my voice, amplified by the speakers, carried throughout the area. "The goddess Vritra once again threatens my ally, the goddess Indra. I am once again asked to answer the call for help. Therefore, I tell you: 'We are going to war!'"
The stadium erupted in jubilation. After a while, when the passions had died down, I continued:
"Your commanders will inform you of the attack plans later. And now... My loyal warriors, you train harder than anyone, showing no laziness or other shameful sins. Every effort must be rewarded, but only battle determines the worth of a warrior. There is no greater honor than drawing near to one's god. I declare: the fiercest, the strongest, the most intelligent warriors, those who defeat the most enemies, will be allowed to bear my name as their family name. You will be called not only by your first name, but by your family name, Sarehan. Let my name enshrine the strongest, the most loyal, the most intelligent—those who crush thousands of enemies."
The stadium fell silent. The Jaffa, their brains churning, tried to comprehend this. Then they began to scream as if their team had just won the Super Bowl, and their shouts seemed to cause a small earthquake. Essentially, I was inviting them into the family. Jaffa names typically don't include surnames; at most, the most powerful and strong include their planet of birth, like Teal'c of Chulak. But having the name of your god in your surname is the highest honor. Plus, another distinction. I couldn't keep the Jaffa in constant training; I had to let them off the leash, rewarding the loyal dogs with pats on the fur. This echoes the concept of the "Armor of the Prophet" from Dune, not yet written in this universe—I use it, as did Paul Atreides.
The Goa'uld formed cults on their worlds, so anyone with common sense can harness this power. The same goes for the Jaffa: they would gladly join me on a Crusade. Fanatical faith allows me to convert the Jaffa by killing their masters and seize planets. But I reject such application to humans. To them, I grant an understanding of technology, scientific progress, and the formation of a scientific worldview. I don't even know what the existence of two worlds—fanatical religiosity and a scientific approach—will lead. I have enough technology to create a world of victorious theocracy, where the more faith, the more technology. Yes, it's possible, but I deeply dislike it. It's beneficial for maintaining power, because one day, Urvashi society will come to me and Isara and say, "Get off the throne, you've reached the limits of your competence." That moment will come, and it's worth waiting for. All my power lies in these fanatical Jaffa.
Sometimes I trade, sometimes I threaten, and sometimes I subjugate by force of arms. The future Empire rests on the Jaffa, who are superfluous to the society I'm building. But the Jaffa must be controlled, because without the Goa'uld, galactic carnage will ensue. After all, everyone hates the Jaffa. It's hypocritical to tell a galaxy they once suppressed that they've become good. Not to mention that the Free Jaffa will realize they have the Huttaks in their hands, and they can subjugate planets by demanding resources by force of arms. Let them be my Fremen, under my control, so that the galaxy can prosper. So I took this chapter from Battletech and the Kerensky Clans, about the right to a family name, and modified it to suit my needs. I've taken a slightly more serious approach to forming a false martial religion, in which I am not a deity, but a commander with the right to lead my legions into battle.
— Thousands of my enemies will fall, you will crush them and walk over the bones of the weak, proving that I command the most ferocious warriors in the Universe!
— YES!
— The planets will surrender just hearing the tread of your Sabbathons!
— YES!
— They will all fall!
It was rather primitive, but therefore effective propaganda. Unfortunately, it worked. Even Krel, who had killed the "gods," hadn't yet begun to ask questions or doubt: "What the hell is going on here?"
My speech was followed by a feast, where the Jaffa gorged themselves and got drunk. After all, everyone knows: there's nothing better than a feast before (and after) a battle, as proven by human history.
"It's a step forward," Egeria said when Isara and I met her in one of the strategic planning rooms. "But do you really think this is a good method of control?"
"Yes," I answered firmly.
Over the past month, we've talked a lot and played a game designed to showcase Egeria's strategic talents. She favored Vritra, who might have anticipated my return. Not to mention the possibility of me being surrounded by four hostile Goa'uld. So for every move Egeria could devise, I devised a counterplan. The former Queen of Ra, bitchy and superior to me in many ways—management, espionage, knowledge—was strengthened by Evgenia in her weaknesses, given her experience in full-scale planetary warfare by a Marine platoon commander. But I, too, had my own secret methods for winning using high technology. As a 21st-century man, I think in terms of using technology for military purposes.
This is somewhat superior to Evgenia's or Egeria's worldview, not because I'm smarter, but because I lived in a different time and watched more movies and played more games. Take satellites, for example. Previously, I had to physically drag them to another planet and activate the engine to scan. Now, with threader technology, I can transform them into a satellite that automatically deploys to a planet's orbit. I simply need to program it to enter orbit and scan. Instantly form an orbital satellite constellation to analyze the position of enemy forces, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. This allows me to instantly identify the presence of heavy forces, such as the Hattaki.
Technically, I can destroy anyone guarding the gate. Just hook up an Alkesh cannon to the generators and fire. It would be an unpleasant surprise. Not to mention heavy equipment, which can ignore damage from plasma staves. So the only way to defend the planet through the gate is the SGC method, but the Goa'uld stubbornly avoid it for a number of reasons. They rarely employ the Ra and Pelops method of placing gates inside buildings. And that's a brilliant move: if enemy forces begin deploying, blow up the structure. But at the moment, my method is perhaps the most advanced: placing the gates inside large antigravity platforms protected by a super-powerful shield. A shield located inside the room containing the gate. This rules out the arrival of ashraks, planted bombs (like I want to do with Raiden, the bastard who hasn't visited the capital in a month), biological, chemical, and other weapons.
So, our plan was to divide my forces into tactical units of a thousand. This would allow me to simultaneously attack 70 of my opponents' planets, but that was only in theory. I didn't know how well my enemy's planets were defended, or whether they had any Hattak, Alkesh, or gliders. All of that was determined by the first wave of satellites analyzing the situation. After analyzing, the unit commanders would decide whether to attack or hold the gate open. To be as transparent as possible, I authorized the Jaffa to attack enemies ten times their size, but forbade them from doing so in the presence of Hattak. I ordered minimal response to Alkesh and gliders. I managed to modify a German light anti-aircraft missile (similar to the Stinger) into something more or less functional. There was no homing capability; it was essentially a shoulder-mounted missile. However, if the Alkesh showed up, their fate would be sealed.
There are special anti-Alkeshiv warheads with an increased warhead. Gliders, on the other hand, reduce their speed to 200-300 kilometers per hour to attack ground forces. Shooting them down is entirely possible with such devices. The Typhoon's initial speed was 1 km per second, but with my clever hands and Goa'uld knowledge, it increased to 4 km per second. Using the simplified targeting system in Jaffa helmets, shooting down a glider is generally possible, especially when they practiced this during exercises as close to combat as possible. It's not absolute protection, but it's good enough to protect soldiers in such conditions. The operational goals, if all objectives are fully accomplished, are the complete destruction of the enemy Jaffa garrison, the capture of the Goa'uld, and the plunder of valuables. Given that Vritra is familiar with my style, the attack will be directed at her allies. Egeria said so: if they run into trouble, the entire alliance could fall apart. I don't care what Indra will do, but she could simply defeat the enemy forces individually. Whether she'll be interested in exploiting the strategic advantage or not, I don't know.
"They're starting to look more and more like a cult," Isara said.
"Any army," I reply, feeling Evgenia wince, "isn't a rational structure. It's closer to a church than any other structure devised by humans. The belief that your efforts are worth something, that you have wise commanders above you, devoid of human weaknesses… because everyone is terrified to realize that such an imperfect person is capable of ordering them to die."
"There's something to it," she said thoughtfully, "but why constantly raise the temperature?"
"For them to betray Ra," I chuckled. "Pelops's Jaffa are loyal to me, but I need all the resources I can get. Especially after I've invested so much in them. Faith is a drug that needs to be maintained at a certain level. Besides, their faith is a function. All they're required to do is fight, and they happily accept that role. Of course, they're more complex individuals, but that's their price."
"And what is their fate after your victory?" Isara asked.
I just smiled grimly. There were still the Wraith, of course, but I'd just been asked about the fate of possibly billions of supersoldiers.
"I hope the next generation of them will be more open to something different," I said. "Your planet, my dear, can be taught. They… it's difficult. Because they need to be disabused of the notion that they are the blade of God, and I can't do that. Urvashi doesn't care about the Jaffa's losses, and the Jaffa don't care about theirs. If I had used Urvashi's army… I wouldn't have been so free. So I should thank the Universe for such a useful tool."
"I was just wondering," I mused out loud, "did the Emperor of Mankind think like that in Warhammer? Would he have destroyed most of his primarchs and legions if the Webway project had been successful? My answer is yes, and without any remorse. After all, they were merely tools. Only the ideal man—as depicted by Soviet science fiction writers—was important."
"Aren't you afraid of ending up as someone else's tool?" Egeria asked.
"I just hope you'll let me leave with Isara," I replied easily, musing on my possible fate. "Oh well, that woman was playing spy games with Ra. You shouldn't have thought she had no plans; even within the same factions, there are power struggles. I never for a second forget who you are, Egeria. The most powerful and most dangerous of my allies. But your existence is more important to the galaxy than mine, and that limits my response."
A gloomy silence fell over the room. Isara swallowed softly and took my hand. It was cold, perhaps because her blood pressure had dropped.
"There's nothing I can technically do," Egeria raised her hands. "Your Jaffa, instead of obeying me, will simply destroy me."
"Soon you will have seventy-five thousand assistants."
"Not so soon," she replied dryly. "Besides, I don't betray my allies. Despite your beliefs, I'm ready to cooperate with you, as I've stated many times."
"I think that will be an interesting question if I do conquer the galaxy. Let's put it off until then."
"Yes, we postpone."
Egeria wasn't a mere function. She was the most powerful being in the galaxy at the time, capable of deceiving Ra and the entire Empire. Therefore, the question of power might be of great interest to her as the end approaches, but for now we need each other. Perhaps I could be replaced, simply by inserting a new symbiont into the host. Alternatively, she might need my diplomatic services with the Asgard. They haven't cooperated well with the Tok'ra, due to the impossibility of contact. I think she'll consider the matter once the larvae mature. For now, our political ideals have aligned, specifically, my entrusting everything to Isara, taking on only the functions of Supreme Commander and a few others. But over time, the question will arise: does Egeria want to rule the galaxy herself? Does she prefer the Goa'uld to be the dominant species, or will a fusion of civilizations occur?
"The Goa'uld could have become the greatest civilization in the galaxy, but they became space feudal lords," I said. "The ability to absorb information from thousands of cultures and recombine it... and all of it wasted on the Ra pornography collection in my mind. The most useless information in my brain. Why is it even there?" I looked at Egeria with interest, but it was Evgenia who blushed, apparently.
"This is so that you strive for the same level of power."
"Isara is enough for me, thank you."
"You forget that our first hosts were the primitive Unas, and we adopted the primitive superstition that the more females a male can mount, the better. What worked in primitive society, we carried into the galaxy and still adhere to."
"This isn't primitive superstition, but pure Darwinism. However, I can't understand why a race with different means of transmitting hereditary information would need this."
"We sometimes take things from our native speakers without even realizing it."
"I see. I never asked why you adopted the philosophy of coexistence? You must have been queen for several millennia by then, and you've likely used a sarcophagus, which seriously impedes rational thought. I wonder if it damages the hosts, and through them, us, or us as well?"
"Us too," Egeria replied with a sigh. "It was because of my first host. She was strong, very strong. Perhaps she was even a descendant of the gate builders, but neither she nor I knew it. It's just that her inner will was so powerful that it often caused me problems. Lita loved to make me uncomfortable when we were in public. In Goa'uld society, not being able to control a host is a disgrace. During sex with Ra, I had to exert more control, as Lita wanted to close her jaws at a certain point, if you know what I mean."
"The whole galaxy knows what you mean, Egeria," I replied dryly. "But I'd be interested in Ra's falsetto."
"Stun me," Evgenia said, taking control. "No, really stun me, she's remembering it."
"But she's not remembering orgies."
"Damn, she just remembered that. Stun me."
"You're lucky you don't have memories of the last two thousand years. He's become even more hedonistic."
"Where else?"
"Actually..."
"You know, I don't want to know," Evgenia replied. "I was raised on normal human relationships."
"Casanova had about a hundred mistresses, and that was considered average compared to Byron. So, you could say it's typical of humanity to constantly lie to ourselves."
"Don't embarrass my host, although, frankly, the fact that she's embarrassed by the topic of sex after five years of war amuses me. Just a little. And yet she crawled through sewer pipes to capture a German general."
"I'm just normal!"
"Me too," I pointed at myself. "Yes, the conversation between Egeria and Evgenia was somewhat reminiscent of a schizophrenic. I only have Isara."
"That's not normal for the Goa'uld. You're abnormal," the Goa'uld Queen replied. "You haven't taught me anything new," the wife replied cheerfully.
"Let's get back to your fellatio with Ra, which could have ended very badly for him," I turned to Egeria, so as not to bring up the subject of my abnormality. "Lita was strong, so she was constantly causing me problems. So, I made a pact with her: I wouldn't commit any evil deeds from her point of view, and she wouldn't interfere with me, and she certainly wouldn't try to harm Ra. After all, she could have done just that. It's a good thing Hathor was around then, and he didn't call me too often. Although, sometimes he called us together."
"A typical man."
"We're agender Goa'uld. Jolinar if Malkshur prefers female hosts, just like Garshau if Belot," he shrugged. "So I don't think that comment applies to me."
"I think it does apply. Did it bother you, or would you not want to see me with Egeria?"
What's the use of a Goa'uld brain? The ability to think very quickly if necessary.
"I don't think Eugenia or Egeria are interested in me. Her visit to Ra and Hathor also had nothing to do with affection. Harems are generally for dictators and fools, since every person has a sense of self-worth. So, unless it's coercion or monetary compensation, orgies are unlikely to be realized based on real emotional attachment. The human brain is too complex for that, although I suppose there are exceptions, such as 'The Armor of the Prophet.' But even there, it's not all that simple. I still hold the opinion that it's unlikely to be realized. And even if I might have had some fantasies, and I'm not claiming I did... then ruining a stable and productive relationship for the sake of lust is, at the very least, foolish. I'm not going to destroy the Empire that hasn't yet been born over something like that."
"I'm just teasing you, no need to attack like that—yes, yes, Isara, justify yourself. I've been married to you for some time now and I'm not about to get caught in such a minefield. I have an antigravity backpack—I can fly."
"So, at first we came to the usual agreements, then, after a while, I even let her control my body, but I made sure she didn't do anything extravagant. In the end, we became friends," Egeria finished her VERY short story. "And we decided to overthrow Ra and all the other Goa'uld. Lita, in particular, hated their orgies, especially when we had more than one partner. And also the enslavement of races and dictatorial behavior. But most of all, she hated the orgies."
"I was more pragmatic when I changed my thinking. I had my own Jaffa, so I was able to give birth to the Tok'ra. I was counting on starting a rebellion that would overthrow the System Lords through a series of targeted assassinations and seizing power over the Jaffa. But my plan was discovered, and here I am."
— A very short story.
"I've been implementing my plan for centuries. If I were to tell it in detail, we'd spend days here, mentioning every event," Egeria shrugged.
— For Evgenia's sake, you better not mention every sex scene you've had.
"Yes, and also purely out of feminine envy on my part," Egeria and I exchanged glances, looking at Isara. "That you two in these bodies are superhumans?"
"Well, you became like that with the nanites too," I pointed out the obvious.
"Yes, my stamina, flexibility, and many other parameters have increased," the queen teased my wife. "I mean, I know the blueprints for a good bed with naquadah added for strength. I know from personal experience how much an unexpectedly broken bed, or wall, can ruin an evening..."
— Maybe we should get back to the military campaign and not my sex life, which, if you're wondering, is pretty good, unlike yours.
"Not because I don't want to, Evgenia doesn't want to."
"Should I go out?" I asked.
- No, we are just moving on to the military campaign.
"Yes, my Jaffa fanatics are passing through the gate, destroying all other Jaffa, capturing Goa'uld, and ignoring ordinary humans. I've trained them well to ignore 'my slaves.'"
"One of your greatest achievements. Truly the greatest. Just a couple of years ago, the Spartans ruled over ordinary people; now they ignore them, so they don't want to shoot them unless they threaten them. There's also this shame complex about 'ruling' slaves, which made them weak. That's why they couldn't protect their god, so they have to throw away all previous rules and commit suicide during training."
"A pretty good balance between reward and punishment," I pointed out the obvious advantages. "They're already on par with the rest of my combat units. I'll just have to figure out how to train them later."
— Increase the number of command exercises. So that the legions fight each other every day, under different conditions.
"This will require the involvement of a large territory," Isara stated the obvious.
"All this is required not because I need a super army, but because the super army must not guess our true allegiance."
"If you say so..." Isara sighed again. "But when you gain access to the technology for directly integrating knowledge into your mind, it will become much more effective."
"Oh, yes, speaking of technology. Egeria, tell me, do the Goa'uld have artificial womb technology? To place an egg and sperm into it, where the fetus will develop. In societies before antibiotics, childbirth killed more women than war. And while nanite technology has reduced the risk of pregnancy to near-zero, it can't interfere with genetics; it can only maintain health. The risk of having children with genetic abnormalities remains, and children born in artificial wombs can undergo gene editing."
"Such technology exists," Egeria said affirmatively. "It was used at the dawn of human colonization of the galaxy to increase the number of slaves. Back then, there were a large number of other Goa'uld performing menial functions, and they monitored the birthing vats. But now no one needs such technology for economic reasons. And only a few possessed it. To economically tie the younger Goa'uld down, there were special worlds where birthing vats operated, and humans raised the children. In the 15th century, they were sold to the younger Goa'uld for colonization. I assume it was precisely because Yu kept this technology on Earth that there were so many Chinese."
- So you can repeat this technology?
— Yes.
"Wait, Szareh," Isara stopped me. "I understand your beliefs, but this is too much of a social shift. You're right, childbirth can be dangerous, and yes, before you came, it was a game of Russian roulette, but this is too big a change..."
"I won't force anyone into anything, I'll simply inform them that the option exists. If someone wants to try natural childbirth, who am I to stop them? Incidentally, it could be turned into a business. Considering we have contact with some planets that are sufficiently developed, I think there would be plenty of clients there. Despite all the naturalness, I don't think most women enjoy exposing their genitals to strangers, then experiencing the hellish pain that awaits all Goa'uld in hell, and then shitting themselves."
"Not only that," Egeria said knowingly.
— Is this true?
- Yes, Isara, didn't you know?
— No. Not in such detail. Let's say I knew about 70%.
"I'd bet that, on average, women carry their first pregnancy to term naturally and won't want to repeat the experience. And that's good for men, too: they won't be looking for pickles at 3 a.m.
"I suppose that's a logical conclusion," Egeria replied. "But humans rarely act logically. If Earth were offered such technology now, the churchmen would wage a holy war."
"Earthlings would even start a holy war over which burger tastes better. Holy wars are all they do," Isara replied angrily. Yes, let me remind you again, she hates Earth. More precisely, she loves music, books, and so on, but she hates people who constantly kill each other for no reason, just for the sake of killing. It's not that the Goa'uld aren't like that, but even the Goa'uld don't look for traitors in their ranks as often as any other group of Earthlings.
"Fair enough," I say briefly, because I am also an earthling, and all I do is shoot at everyone with an intar.