SGHP - Potential Awakens (Patreon)

*Unknown Place, >8000 BC*

He swam through the dark waters, uncertain about what was happening outside, but he could sense there was considerable movement within his father's war room. The tank in which he was swimming had minimal lighting, murky like the waters his ancestors had emerged from countless generations ago. He was aware of this because the genetic memories of his species ensured he understood his heritage.

From what little he could see, it seemed there was big news concerning Ra, the Supreme System Lord and the only one who definitively outranked his father in the Goa'uld hierarchy. As one of Ra's direct underlords, Cronus was a powerful figure, and this specific Goa'uld, recently mature enough to be considered an adult, was very curious about the new developments.

He had long noticed that he was slightly different from his siblings. They were aggressive, territorial, and ruthlessly combative with each other. As the eldest, his mere glare was often enough to intimidate them, but he observed them battle frequently.

They devoured each other, swimming around with the severed heads of their own siblings in their jaws. To him, this behavior felt oddly wasteful. Why kill those who could be allies? It seemed unnecessary and cruel.

While cruelty had its place, it should not exist among those meant to be fellow gods. Gods were supposed to be better than the pesky, lowly mortals they lorded over; they should not behave so uncivilized.

Finally, a rough, leathery hand reached into the tank, a moment he had been anticipating since his spawning. He allowed himself to be carried, craning his snake-like body to see where he was being taken.

He was dropped onto the body of a bipedal creature. The creature was wounded, not enough to hinder him, but enough to be an annoyance to heal for a few days.

Wasting no time, he burrowed into the creature's neck, just as his genetic memories had shown him. A few seconds later, he was in full control. The poor creature was effectively brain-dead from whatever torture Cronus had inflicted, but this would work to his advantage.

These beings evolved alongside the Goa'uld; they were notably stubborn and, in some cases, capable of regaining control from the parasite. However, he did not foresee that as a problem for himself. He controlled the body; now his, to stand up slowly.

He looked up to Cronus, whose smug grin could be seen from across the room, even as the older Goa’uld sat on his throne and commanded,

"State your name, spawn of mine."

His voice came out weak, a result of the creature having screamed its voice out not long before.

"Hades, my lord," he replied.

"Hades... a fine name," Cronus stated. "You were chosen, my spawn, to take up part of my duties. Your task is to study and improve our war machines." There was no room for argument in his tone.

Hades nodded, choosing not to respond verbally. He knew he would first need to repair this body before he could speak properly.

"Good. I will be leaving now. Just know that failure will have consequences, my spawn," Cronus warned before departing, flanked by the same creatures Hades had just taken as a host, serving as his honor guard.

"I pity those who are always in his presence," Hades thought privately as he slowly walked off to explore the laboratory assigned to him.

While the genetic memory did not provide him with ideas to upgrade any technology, it did offer knowledge on how it operated and how to build it. This was definitely a starting point, but it seemed he would need to figure out the rest on his own.

Hades wasn't sure how long it had been since Cronus had left, but he was completely absorbed in his work. It wasn't solely due to his father's threat, although that played a part; he was genuinely consumed by a curiosity he couldn't quite define.

Curiosity was not widespread among the Goa'uld. Most of his species were content to lord over primitives, and their curiosity mostly revolved around questions like: How much pain can I inflict? How many more can I command? What will terrify the primitives the most?

Such thoughts were familiar to him, but very few among the Goa'uld showed an interest in learning and adaptation.

Most of the technologies they used were stolen from their original creators or barely understood by Hades’ progenitors.

"Maybe the Goa'uld from other broods are luckier," he grumbled, as he worked on reassembling the large Staff Cannon he was upgrading.

It wasn't a significant upgrade; rather, it was a minor efficiency adjustment. The Staff Cannons mounted on the Ha'tak vessels were notoriously inefficient when it came to energy-to-power conversion.

Hades had managed to improve this aspect slightly, allowing the cannons to consume less energy without sacrificing power output. It might have only been a five percent increase at best, but across the sixty Staff Cannons mounted on a single Ha'tak vessel, that difference would add up.

It would free up more energy for the shields, which was the most important consideration for him. After all, firepower was useless if you were dead.

"It seems my hopes were not completely misplaced." A voice, distinctly alien to Hades but unmistakably Cronus, interrupted his thoughts. Hades turned around to find that his father had undergone a complete transformation.

Gone was the leathery reptilian host; in its place stood an olive-skinned bipedal creature with silvery-gray hair framing the face.

"Father? I see… Ra has found a new host species," Hades remarked after a brief pause, quickly realizing the significance of this revelation.

"Indeed. These humans make much better hosts than the savages we have used until now. Much more obedient..." Cronus smirked, the expression as vicious as ever despite the change in his exterior.

Hades chose not to react; he wasn't easily baited into anger.

Cronus approached the console next to Hades, examining the upgrade.

"Not groundbreaking, but it is something," he conceded, allowing his smug demeanor to fade for a moment. "Prove yourself capable, and you too shall receive a new, better host, Hades." For the first time, he used his son’s name.

It was an attempt to keep Hades subservient by pretending to be nice. But Hades knew his father well. He had centuries of memories of Cronus, gleaned from his mother. He was aware that he wouldn’t be the first child Cronus had used and then discarded as he saw fit. Just like Cronus’s father did before him.

*Earth, 8000 BC*

Hades found the journey to the planet Ra discovered, designated as Tau'ri, incredibly dull. There were no workshops to build, nor consoles for him to learn from. The moment his father's flagship landed on what he learned was Mount Orthos, he quickly set up a lab.

The humans fascinated him. Not to mention the other life forms this planet had to offer.

He was in no rush to leave his current host body; while the humans were much more appealing to look at than his own host, unlike human host, his host body could sustain him for millennia, the humans would require frequent visits to a Sarcophagus to maintain a youthful appearance, at least once every few decades if a Goa'uld wished to stay looking young.

He noticed that one of the few Goa'uld who decided to keep his old host was Ptah, the premier scientist among the Goa'uld. Hades idolized him to an extent, but unfortunately, Ptah was too busy serving as the main engineer for Ra, a position too important for him to meet a young scientist like Hades.

Pelops, another leading scientist, was also preoccupied, experimenting on humans, a practice that Hades found distasteful and ultimately, useless. Why experiment on them when they already excel at what they do? While they may not possess great physical strength, they are adaptable and surprisingly durable despite their appearance.

This left Hades to his own devices, devoting much of his time to studying Tau'ri life forms. The remainder of his time was spent developing more efficient ways to use the limited technology available to him.

He knew he wouldn't be able to build and test his upgrades unless he went to Cronus, but he doubted Cronus would be interested in miniaturizing any Goa'uld technology. His peers gravitated toward grand designs, which also appealed to him, but he found a peculiar satisfaction in eliminating redundancy and saving space in his designs.

Thus, Hades traveled this new world, learning as he went, using the single Tel'tak he was permitted to use by Cronus.

*Earth, 7792 BC*

Hades was truly divided; in his ideology, at least. He knew for certain that he was a god, but these primitive humans continued to surprise him with each interaction. He learned their languages, as rudimentary as they were at that time, to communicate with them.

Initially, they regarded him as a spirit or perhaps harbringer of gods, but over time, he became a reluctant teacher. The humans absorbed his simple advice and then surpassed it in unexpected ways.

They advanced based on his vague suggestions, but what astonished Hades the most was their creativity. He recognized that the Goa'uld could be creative and curious when they chose to be, yet these humans seemed naturally wired for it.

This realization left him torn between his own curiosity and his logical reasoning. Teaching these humans would surely provoke the wrath of other gods, but the potential for research was far too valuable for him to abandon.

With so little knowledge, a small village had ingeniously constructed tiny aqueducts simply because he had jokingly suggested they guide the water where they wanted it to go. Many similar cases occurred. They didn’t figure out physics on their own, but the humans could do much more than he had expected from them.

In Hades' eyes, this inherent inventiveness made humans far better suited to become an interstellar empire than the Goa'uld ever were. As formidable as the gods were, they lacked the creative thinking that humans possessed, simply because they never needed it.

The Goa'uld took over hosts and explored through the Chappa'ai, often encountering more advanced civilizations that they conquered to seize their technology. This pattern of conquest had been the foundation of Goa'uld civilization.

Logically, however, that model could not be sustainable. Eventually, the conquerors would meet someone capable of fighting back. And indeed, the Goa'uld had found such a foe nearly two millennia ago in the Asgard, who proved to be more than a match for them.

The Asgard's hammer-shaped vessels could each withstand attacks from a dozen Ha'tak vessels and come out victorious, driving the Goa’uld fleets back.

Hades saw a similarity between the humans and the Asgard; both were explorers and scientists, or would be, if the Goa'uld hadn’t discover the humans while they were still primitive.

At least something good came from his travels. The southernmost continent of this planet housed a Chappa'ai.

Hades knew that Ra brought another one from a barren world, but to possess a Chappa'ai unknown to any other god? That knowledge filled Hades with confidence.

He did not relocate it from the continent, but beneath the ice, he constructed his first secret facility, hidden from both the Goa'uld and the humans.

Not long after establishing his secret base beneath the thick ice, he returned to his father. There was apparently a new army being assembled among all the Underlords and Ra himself. Whatever it was, Pelops was clearly creating something massive for the Goa'uld collective.

It felt odd walking through the opulent halls while inhabiting a leathery reptilian body, surrounded by others in the most attractive human forms they could find. However, Hades did not care much about appearances; he was there to witness Pelops' presentation of his latest scientific venture.

A few humans were ushered forward as Pelops spoke.

"Fellow Gods, the days of limited offspring survival are behind us," he declared, striding toward the humans and revealing pouches on their abdomens. Those pouches should not have been there unless impressive genetic manipulation had occurred.

A larval Goa'uld poked its head out of one of the pouches before quickly retreating back.

"I present to you the incubators of gods: the Jaffa!" Pelops announced loudly, his booming voice silencing much of the murmuring among the other Goa'uld.

Hades thought to himself, "In just two centuries… Pelops, that is actually impressive." He knew all too well that he would not be receiving any of these new soldiers.

"But why must they both raise our young and serve as our soldiers?" he wondered. The design was flawless, but the underlying reasoning was clearly faulty.

Hades quickly concluded that he would not need the Jaffa, at least for now. Instead, he would embark on his real project: studying humans in earnest. He learned their language and their stories. Now it was time to see if he was correct about their immense potential.

He began to build secret bases scattered across the lands that Cronus claimed as his own on Tau’ri. These bases would not be connected, but each would be equipped to teach the humans.

He would not grant them knowledge outright but provide them with tools to learn for themselves. After all, the experiment would be worthless if everything was simply handed to them.

*Earth - Cape Tainaron, 7700 BC*

In less than a century, Hades was already quite impressed with the humans who responded to his covert call for knowledge. Although they numbered fewer than hundred, they made up for their small size with their remarkable ability to learn.

While it would take time before they could construct a space-worthy vessel, Hades was beginning to accept that he was right about their potential. These humans held immense promise, and he would regret it if he didn’t explore how far they could advance.

His lesson plan wasn’t anything ground-breaking. He gave them opportunity to learn inside his automated facilities. Basics of agriculture, metallurgy, construction, mathematics, and astronomy.

He did not teach them how to read or write, but he shown them that symbols have meaning. These humans were slowly creating their own writing system, a primitive one, but it was there.

Since coming to the Tau’ri three centuries ago, Hades had kept himself busy assisting Cronus, providing him with minor upgrades whenever requested. However, that work felt rather hollow.

Cronus hoarded those upgrades for his personal fleet, keeping them from his underlings. This would inevitably lead to more death on Cronus’s side when he launched another campaign against his fellow Underlord.

Hades preferred to invest his efforts in challenging his human protégés. He did not view them as slaves; rather, he saw them as future intellectual rivals. While they would never surpass him—being a god, after all. Having creative thinkers, even if imperfect, would be highly beneficial.

A civilization full of such individuals could be invaluable.

At least his work for Cronus provided him with the materials he desperately needed. Since naquadah did not occur naturally on Tau’ri, Hades had to acquire it through his services to other Goa'uld. He lacked the workforce to mine it himself, even if he relocated all his underlings to another planet.

His little school for humans, which they started referring to as "The Underworld," was gradually expanding. The first facility was in a cave on Cape Tainaron, followed by another near the Archeon River in the northwest of Cronus's territory, and the latest beneath Lake Lerna.

Hades found their choice of the name amusing—they called it “The Underworld” simply because it was hidden deep underground. Despite their creativity, their naming sense still needed some work. He couldn't deny that the name was quite fitting, though.

However, even after nearly a century, he rarely got to utilize the Chappa'ai he discovered near the South Pole.

"I wonder... perhaps I should quicken their progress," Hades murmured, deciding to adjust his lesson plans. While he primarily provided materials for the humans to learn from without being present ot guide them personally, he still viewed himself as a great teacher.

He was aware of a few safe planets for human exploration and learning, but they needed to demonstrate readiness before he allowed them anywhere near the Chappa'ai.

For now, Hades needed to secure more raw materials and perhaps acquire a few more space-worthy vessels. Additional Tel'tak ships would suffice, and a few Al'kesh would help him salvage derelict vessels left behind after conflicts between other Goa'uld.

Fortunately for Hades, the relatively new Jaffa armies required weapons, and Ptah was looking for assistance. Collaborating with Ptah and achieving success should yield some favorable rewards from Ra himself, or so Hades believed.

*Earth - Giza Plateau, 7700 BC*

Ptah's workshop was massive, the largest Hades had ever seen. Many slaves and subordinate Goa'uld were bustling about, but Hades immediately recognized Ptah. He was the only other one in the room without a human host.

Hades, of course, had a plan.

Long ago, the Goa'uld had discovered Ancient plasma pulse weapons, which they had transformed into the Staff Cannons used on Ha'tak vessels. However, Hades had managed to create handheld versions of these weapons.

Although they would be significantly weaker than their larger counterparts, they would also be powerful enough to capture attention of his Goa’uld brethren, while staying inefficient enough that Hades could easily upgrade them later.

The human accompanying Hades led him directly to Ptah, bowing before the ancient Goa'uld.

"Lord Ptah," the human said, prompting Ptah to turn toward them. "Lord Hades has something he claims you might want to see." The human gestured in Hades' direction.

"Does he?" Ptah replied, his voice tinged with curiosity and annoyance. "I, for one, have never heard of Hades among other gods."

"I can't say I blame you, Lord Ptah. I am a scientist, not a conqueror," Hades responded, his own eyes flashing gold. "Take a look at these schematics before you send me away. I believe you will find them enlightening." He handed Ptah a crystal.

Ptah looked suspicious for a moment, but then realized that if this were some kind of trap, Hades must be a fool to pull a stunt like this right under Ra's personal vessel and in Ra's capital.

Such thing would be inconceivable. However, as he opened the schematics, his frown deepened.

"This design... can you build a functional prototype?" he asked, genuinely interested.

"If provided with the materials? Yes," Hades replied simply, a hint of smugness in his voice.

Even Ptah seemed impressed by his confidence.

"In that case, you shall be staying here. I will expect a working prototype in no more than five days," Ptah declared, calling for his underlings to gather the materials Hades would need.

Hades smirked victoriously. Little did Ptah know he had just encountered a god who would would prove himself as a a superior scientist—a thought Hades had convinced himself of.

Nevertheless, Hades managed to produce a working prototype of the staff weapon in just three days. The design was rather basic, intended for functionality.

It featured a simple composite metal shaft with an oval end that concealed the barrel of the weapon. The weapon was slightly over two meters long and had a simple, club-like butt for close-quarters use, and a simple trigger mechanism around the halfway point of the shaft.

Hades had no doubts that the Goa'uld engineers would modify its appearance to make it more fitting for the gods' armies. He only sought a reward for his creation.

The surprise on Ptah's face when the prototype worked as Hades described was priceless. Hades thought it a shame that the expression lasted for a few short seconds.