Chapter 16 Thor Part 3

Upon reaching the SGC, 00 began transporting the wounded soldiers to her bioship to repair their lost limbs. After fifteen minutes, the fifteen affected soldiers were returned to the SGC, and she activated the portal of her ship to go to the Creator's planet.

00 arrived behind a chair. It was a room with posters of video game characters hanging on the walls, and a man sitting in front of a new PC model with LED lights and shiny cables decorating everything, resembling the decor of an electronics store.

The man in the chair, which resembled a racing car seat, was tall, with grayish-white hair, and seemingly had an athletic body. He wore comfortable-looking sportswear and shoes. He was facing away, so his face wasn't visible, but from his demeanor, one could guess he was in his twenties, closer to twenty than thirty.

"Creator, the supreme commander of the Asgard fleet, Thor, wishes to see you," 00 informed. The man playing a video game didn't even turn, making a dismissive gesture with his hand.

"Hello, 00. Tell him I'm a very busy person; we'll talk later. I'll also read the mission report later," the man said, paying no attention.

"Creator, he insists," 00 said. The man shook his head while still fully focused on the game.

"00, Shaiya is already online, and thanks to the speed of my network, I managed to register first and get a sure-shot potion for full criticals, a swift potion that increases my movement speed by one, a mastery potion that boosts my attack speed by one level.

"Thanks to this, I've only been playing for half an hour and I'm already level 5. I still have an hour and a half of potions; I can't leave the game now. Tell Thor that I'm too busy," the man insisted.

"Creator, he was about to insist vehemently," 00 said indifferently.

"Insist vehemently? What does that mean?" the man asked, still gaming without looking around.

"It means he might become aggressive if you don't speak with him," 00 explained. The man sighed with resignation.

"Did he find out you're an upgraded version of the replicators? Isn't that a bit cowardly? I thought Thor was a tough guy, and that wouldn't disturb him too much," he said with surprise. "But if he's upset, it's better to talk. When the Asgard threaten violence, they already have their finger on the trigger to shoot if the response isn't positive. Okay, tell him we can talk, but I won't let the potions go to waste; we'll talk in two hours.

"00, do you think I should put on my god outfit and sit on my throne? If he's arrogant enough to threaten my envoy, I suppose I have to be equally arrogant. By the way, activate your shields to the maximum, just in case," he advised while still playing.

"Do you plan on using anything else to impress him?" 00 asked.

"Yes, do you think I should tell the children to get away from the throne? Before I thought it would be cool and intimidating to see my collection of servants and it would make me look arrogant, proud and somewhat dangerous, but Egeria first accused me of mistreating creatures and then tried to sexually abuse me. If you didn't come to save me, that round-bottomed hussy would have become her lapdog," the Creator sighed dejectedly.

The Creator never once diverted his attention from the game. 00 sighed inwardly. If the Asgard had insisted, she would have connected him directly with her Creator, and what happened next would have been memorable. 00 wondered if her Creator would order her to erase the memories of everyone or simply store them away to keep their mouths shut.

"Creator, I think it's preferable for you to meet with the Asgard in their Earth offices; that will reveal part of your position in the negotiation," explained 00, advancing and making space to snuggle against his chest. The Creator made room for her.

"00, have you made any progress in awakening 01?" the Creator asked. 00 had completely forgotten about 01.

"I think in a couple of days, I'll be able to awaken him safely," 00 said. She had no doubt that 01 had learned the lesson after spending two years asleep.

…

Korr closed his game with a grimace. The enhanced Shaiya was a marvel, with millions of players in it. Korr was already a level eight warrior. He had also obtained some trash equipment and could do the level 8 quest for the noble set. In the original game, the noble set was beginner trash, and it couldn't be recreated, but now he had modified the missions to obtain a real set, some binding jewels, and binding hammers to improve the odds. The pencils were level four and not worth much, but they would make leveling easier for those who cared to understand the game and how it worked.

Korr sighed and stood up with dejection. He transported himself to the stargate.

Jet, his First Prime, arrived in a flash of light, accompanied by ten other Jaffa, all in their closed armor with nothing in their hands; all their weapons were on their storage bracelets.

"Will my god leave the planet?" Jet asked.

"Yes, I'm heading to Earth for a meeting with the Asgard," Korr said, taking a step and changing his godly outfit for an executive suit with tie.

Jet touched a device in his hand, and his armor was replaced by a formal suit, and his First Prime mark disappeared. With his stature, muscles, and threatening face, Jet was the perfect example of a bodyguard. The Jaffa behind him imitated him, changing their appearance.

Korr continued forward and activated the portal with a gesture of his hand to cross it and reach 00's bioship. When the Jaffa crossed, Korr deactivated the portal and transported them all to his offices on Earth.

His offices were located in the headquarters of his video game company, occupying three floors of a building in New York.

One floor was for servers, where a bio-sphere with almost unlimited capabilities, never requiring maintenance as an automatic program handled administration and security risks. It also ensured no theft or cheating occurred in the game by eliminating the human factor from the equation.

The second floor was for developers, writers, and other employees responsible for the story, scenario development, and game evolution. They made everything look better and ensured there were thousands of object models that players could use and trade.

The third floor was for executive offices, and it housed his office, measuring fifteen by ten meters.

His office had a simple design, with a desk, a large black throne-like chair with no guest chairs because it was a throne room, and sitting petitioners were not allowed. There was a small bar, dwarf palm trees in the corners, a fish tank, and walls adorned with 3D realistic prints of characters from his Shaiya game. There were no computers because Korr didn't need them.

Korr took a seat in his chair, and the Jaffa took guard positions behind him. Korr signaled the Asgard ship in orbit.

Just a few seconds after sending the coordinates, a scanner passed through the building, and Thor appeared in front of it, seated on an Asgard throne. He didn't seem willing to stand.

The Jaffa tensed upon seeing the Asgard. Korr made his eyes glow to indicate that he was a symbiote, although the Asgard had already scanned the place and must have all the biological data of him and his Jaffa who weren't using any shields to cover themselves, only the bio-spheres that protected him were hidden.

"Goa'uld, I am Thor, the supreme commander of the Asgard fleet. What do you intend by offering aid to Earth?" Thor asked with a solemn tone.

"Commander Thor, you may call me Emperor Korr," Korr said, leaning back in his chair to get comfortable after reactivating all his shields. "As for the humans of Earth, I believe my intentions are evident, as I am providing them with technology. So my intentions for this planet are very different from the rest of the system lords," explained Korr.

"That wasn't what you said in our last encounter," accused Thor.

"In our last encounter, I didn't want you meddling in my affairs and compromising my plans for this planet," Korr said.

"Now, I can reveal your identity to the SGC, so I don't see that anything has changed," Thor threatened. Korr smiled.

"Go ahead, humans have always known how to appreciate opportunities and their allies," Korr said without any concern. The only reason he didn't present himself at the SGC was simply that he was the Emperor. He didn't present himself; petitioners came to him.

Thor pondered for a few seconds and seemed to come to the same conclusion. If he staked his alliance with humans against Korr's, it would be the Asgard who would come out on the losing end. Korr had given them ships, a lot of technology, and constant support to Earth. The Asgard only included them in their peace treaty, which was a bluff and offered nothing more.

"Emperor? Didn't you present yourself as a god last time?" Thor asked after contemplating.

"As I said before, I wanted to keep you away. Now, it's no longer necessary, and we can talk," Korr offered.

"About the replicators?" Thor asked, and it was evident he wasn't referring to human replicators. "Now, I understand how you built your ship," Thor said. "Replicators pose a threat to this entire galaxy; they are unstable technology impossible to control," Thor warned.

"These are not the same replicators infecting your galaxy. These were created by me, and although they have a similar programming, the command to replicate is not present, and their central order is also different," explained Korr.

"They are similar enough to pose the same level of threat," Thor replied. Korr did not deny it. Thor reflected for another few seconds.

"Does your empire have plans for the other Goa'uld?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I plan to bring all the Goa'uld into my territory and establish a Goa'uld empire without human slaves. I can create hosts, which means we no longer need them. On the other hand, a Goa'uld queen can produce hundreds of larvae at a time, so we won't need a population either. As for Goa'uld madness, I have already fixed that, and those of my kind who don't accept it will have to sleep for a long time until things stabilize," explained Korr.

"If that's your plan, I don't think you'll lack resources to achieve it," Thor said.

"My plans come at a price, and that is, once the Goa'uld disappear, the galaxy will fall into chaos, forming anarchic organizations and all kinds of criminal alliances, which wouldn't be better than its current state.

"That's why I need someone to take care of humans and bring some order. That someone is the humans of Earth, which is why I've been making improvements and helping them keep everything in order while promoting themselves across the galaxy, so that in the end, everyone knows that thanks to them, they are free," explained Korr.

"How do you plan to make your species collaborate with you? Goa'uld are a violent species, hostile to other intelligent species, viewing them as inferior," Thor replied.

"That is false. Current Goa'uld are the result of indoctrination and brainwashing by the queens, combined with corrupted genetic memory and madness caused by sarcophagi. Proof of this is the Tok'ra. The host also influences them, so I intend to give them blank bodies, like the one I use," explained Korr. Thor reflected again for a few seconds.

"Emperor Korr, your argument is reasonable, as the Asgard know the Tok'ra. We have also seen the potential in the people of Earth. Unfortunately, we cannot guide them appropriately due to the war we are waging," said Thor, changing his attitude completely and revealing a hint of dismay.

"You can call me Korr. And perhaps I can help with that. The lesser replicators are the most dangerous, but they are also the easiest to defeat because they lack intelligence, only an adaptive program," explained Korr. "But I believe their greatest evil is not war," he added, looking at the small, skeletal Asgard with a huge head.

"You can call me Thor. Samantha Carter has informed me that some of the technology you use has an organic basis. May I know where you obtained it?" Thor asked.

"An encounter outside this galaxy with a species whose development took a different path," said Korr.

"You have traveled many places," remarked Thor.

"I like to explore, but above all, I like my days of peace," said Korr. Thor looked at him and nodded.

"The genetic technology present in your body and in the Jaffa warriors who serve you is promising. I will present your proposal to the great Asgard council," said Thor. "However, my stance on the replicators is shared by my people. They will not agree to this technology being freely used, as humans say, it's a time bomb artifact with no temporal control," Thor added. Korr laughed.

"'It's a time bomb,'" Korr corrected. "And I'm afraid we don't see eye to eye on that because from my perspective, I am not in any danger," said Korr.

Thor didn't seem satisfied. Korr supposed the Asgard might continue plotting against him, but by this time, Korr already had a good relationship with Earth. If they attacked, they would become an external enemy to the entire Milky Way galaxy. The Asgard also had everything to lose due to their shortage of ships and resources in their war with the replicators. Thor seemed to come to the same conclusion as he nodded.

"I will present this to the council, Goa'uld called Korr; we will meet again," said Thor.

"Asgard Thor," said Korr as a farewell, and Thor returned to his ship. The sensors of the Amaterasu reported his departure from Earth's orbit.

Korr had done everything he could to get along with them, offering them the anti-replicator weapon and a cure for their genetic disease, but Thor hadn't reciprocated. Korr wouldn't beg for an alliance or give anything for free. The Asgard would be a great support to his plans, but if they insisted, he would simply let them go extinct, problem solved.

Korr shrugged and transported himself along with his Jaffa to return to the Amaterasu and his own planet.

…

Two weeks after Thor's departure, Daniel was in the middle of a strategic meeting with the President of the United States, who wanted to hear from his flagship team about the situation with the Goa'uld, motivated by the fact that they now had resources and defense instruments to face an invasion.

Because of this, their government was already considering revealing the Stargate project and seeking help from other countries against the threat.

Jack was explaining why the Goa'uld were treacherous snakes and why they shouldn't trust the Tok'ra, who were of the same species and looked down on them, when the Stargate activated with an unscheduled incoming call, and the meeting was canceled.

…

"Close the iris and activate the shields," ordered General Hammond as soon as he entered the control room, but the power failed, and everything went dark.

"The systems are not functioning," reported the operator.

The portal activated without an iris and without shields to protect the control room. A few seconds later, Thor emerged from the portal.

"It's Thor," said Jack, rushing to the portal room. Daniel hurried behind him.

If the Asgard were coming through the portal, something serious was happening, as their ships crossed the galaxy in minutes, and they had never used the Stargate before.

…

A few minutes later, Thor had explained the situation. The war against the replicators was not going well, and Thor came to request strategic support.

Their group looked at each other, undecided about who should ask the obvious question, but it was finally decided when General Hammond looked at him, as he was the diplomat of the group.

"Commander Thor, have you spoken with our allies? They have already suggested that they might help you with this problem," Daniel probed. Thor looked at him for a few seconds, and Daniel became somewhat nervous.

"We have had a meeting, but the Asgard council has decided not to deal with your allies, as they believe they pose a threat to this galaxy, given that we have indications that they use replicator technology," Thor said.

Daniel grimaced, but that was very possible, given the origin of 00 and 03. It was evident that they saw no problem in using replicator technology, and as the Asgard were at war with them, this would create a conflict of interests.

"It's incredible technology…" Daniel coughed before Sam made the Asgard put them on their blacklist as well.

Daniel sometimes worried about his team's lack of diplomatic understanding.

"Commander Thor, we understand the Asgard's point of view on this technology; our allies have informed us about it and how replicators have decimated entire civilizations in different galaxies," said Daniel, to make it clear that they were aware of the danger. Thor looked at him and nodded, indicating that he could continue with his explanation.

"Well, knowing this, do you think they would use this technology without taking precautions? Have the Asgard investigated the matter, or have they refused to provide information about it?" Daniel asked.

"No, but we are well acquainted with this technology, and we are confident that it cannot be controlled, so explanations are unnecessary," explained Thor calmly.

Daniel was stunned for a second, realizing that his team was not the only one with diplomatic issues.

"Thor…" Daniel coughed again before Jack put his foot in his mouth and made his job harder.

"Commander Thor, don't you think it's possible that our allies possess knowledge that might be a little above yours? As he said, they have indeed controlled, or so it seems, a technology that you have failed to master. Of course, maybe I am wrong, but if it's not discussed, an understanding is hardly reached. Perhaps if you talked about it, the Asgard could also directly point out where your calculations are going wrong and why you think they are acting incorrectly," Daniel proposed.

Thor took about ten seconds to reflect.

"It is possible," he said finally. "We will send a diplomatic delegation later. This current matter is a priority," he added. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Thor, your entire species is in danger, just go and ask to talk again," said Jack. Thor looked at him, and Daniel sighed.

"I think your advice is appropriate," Thor said reluctantly, and the device in his hand glowed, then disappeared, and the Stargate closed.

"It's always good to make our allies reconsider their positions and not kill each other over some outer space technobugs," said Jack. Daniel sighed again.

…

Thor had sent a message requesting an audience with the Goa'uld named Korr. The response was a transportation in front of a portal that began to activate in front of him.

This meant that the Goa'uld had a base or a ship near Earth that was invisible to their sensors.

Thor grimaced, but as the humans said, the fate of the Asgard should not be taken lightly. He was the Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet and had a responsibility to his own, even if he had to deal with that arrogant Goa'uld, so he stepped through the portal.

Thor didn't see where it took him because as soon as he emerged, he was transported again, and now he was on the bridge of a ship. His locator beacon told him that he was on the other side of the galaxy, in the territory of the Goa'uld named Korr.

Thor looked around. He had seen this bridge before. It was an Asgard design, although the décor was Goa'uld. He was on the ship he had faced a little over a year ago, and the Goa'uld named Korr was also sitting on the same throne, although he was alone.

Thor took a deep breath; he never thought the day would come when he had to reconsider a stance regarding a Goa'uld.

"Emperor Korr, our previous conversation may have ended somewhat hastily," said Thor. He wasn't going to apologize to a Goa'uld, even if this Goa'uld was more similar to the so-called Tok'ra.

"It's possible that we both rushed things," said the Goa'uld, surprising him by accepting some of the blame. "I received a communication from my envoys on Earth; I understand that your situation is urgent. If you give me the coordinates, I will help you resolve it, and then we can continue this conversation," Korr proposed. Thor quickly nodded because the situation was indeed urgent.

Thor sent the coordinates, and the ship deployed an intergalactic map so that Thor could see the direction and speed of the ship's movement. Thor maintained a calm demeanor, but the speed of this ship far exceeded his fastest models; even the O'Neill, currently under construction, would be easily surpassed. From what he could see, this displacement technology was not much different from a Stargate.

"This ship uses an energy source similar to a Potentian from the Alterans, and the displacement technology is also," explained Korr. That explained its speed. Thor transmitted new coordinates.

"With this energy source and speed, we won't need reinforcements; we can head straight into battle," explained Thor, who no longer saw the need to search for his own ship. Korr nodded, and the ship's course was changed.

…

The Goa'uld ship arrived at its destination in seconds, and its sensors collected data from the surroundings. A few hundred kilometers away, there was a battle between eight Asgard ships, three of them infected by replicators.

"You have control of communications," said Korr, and Thor recognized the Asgard-designed interface and also the communication technology, which was his.

This confirmed what 00 had said; they did indeed possess all their technology. Thor quickly opened a channel with his own fleet because it was evident that despite surpassing the ships infected by replicators, they were losing the battle, and their ships were already severely damaged.

The replicator ships detected the signal and classified them as a greater threat than their fleet, so the three ships left their targets, completely ignoring them, and focused their fire on Korr's ship, identified on the interface as the Leviathan.

"This is Commander Thor; we are acting as reinforcements," Thor reported, watching as the replicator ships concentrated their fire. Despite their power multiplied by the replicators, the shield of the Leviathan barely suffered any wear.

"Alteran shields, if there's one thing to acknowledge, it was that they were specialists in this area," said Korr. "Besides, if it's not a particle beam, they can forget about doing anything," he added, and the communication system reported the deployment of a powerful weapon.

"Wait…"

"Relax, it won't affect your ships; it's an anti-replicator weapon. The Leviathan's shields will withstand the damage without any problem, but I don't want these brainless bugs to get any data about the Leviathan and then chase it to see if they can take a bite," explained Korr as his ship fired a wave-like weapon that covered hundreds of kilometers.

Asgard ships sent alarm messages, but the wave reached them, and nothing happened. However, the replicator-infected ships lost their shields, and parts of their hulls, which had previously been replaced by replicator blocks, had now disappeared.

In the communications, Thor received the data of the weapon used, and it was easy for him to recognize its bases, as they had tried to use a similar weapon before, but in the end, it was a failed project.

Thor responded to the Asgard fleet, indicating that the replicators were destroyed and asking if they intercepted any message sent before their destruction. He was also concerned that the replicators would learn about this ship because if they obtained the technology to create energy sources like the one this ship had, the Asgard would be doomed. His fleet replied that they had not intercepted any signal; the replicators seemed barely to be preparing to obtain data.

"That's good, I haven't traced anything either," said Korr, who was also monitoring the communications.

"I suppose we can negotiate now," said Thor, feeling that his people had a bit of breathing space.

"Where do we start?" Korr asked, raising an eyebrow.

The communication interface indicated that the Asgard ships had sent a message.

"I have requested that my flagship be brought to this location for proper negotiations," said Thor.

The Asgard council would not accept negotiations made while their fleet commander was on a Goa'uld ship. Korr nodded.

"Interesting, you managed to slip an encrypted communication through my communication network," praised Korr.

"I've learned it from the replicators; they have specialized in infiltrating our communication systems," admitted Thor. "However, the rate at which they adapt to our technology is much superior to how we adapt to theirs," he added with regret.

"Yes, it's a technology that adapts to achieve maximum efficiency in each branch, although this is also its weak point and what makes it easy to overcome," said Korr.

"Are you talking about human weapons?" Thor asked, and Korr nodded.

"If you don't give them anything to adapt to, then their advantage disappears because they're not intelligent," Korr stated.

Thor had to admit that until humans entered his ship and swept the replicators from it using projectile weapons, the Asgard did not understand that this was a weakness of the replicators.

"It's too late to use that method now; the replicators already have all our technology," Thor said with regret, watching as his ships scanned the ones that had been infected before, confirming the destruction of the replicators.

…

A few minutes later, Thor's ship arrived, and he transported to it, occupying his own Asgard throne. Asgard from the other ships had already begun the recovery efforts on the three ships that were now free of replicators.

That meant he had messed up big time, but he wasn't willing to call the Asgard and provide explanations, let alone apologize when the little gray dwarf was the first to act arrogantly. Perhaps they would go to war over it, and the Asgard would become extinct, but that would be the Asgard's fault, not his.

Fortunately for Korr, exterminating the Asgard was not necessary because Thor arrived, and the SGC convinced him to talk again, so Korr didn't have to do anything. Earth's trust in him aided the negotiations.

"Emperor Korr, the Asgard council appreciates your help, but the use of replicators is something that concerns all Asgard equally because we understand how dangerous this technology is," explained Thor. Korr smiled and sent his own research and the programming of the replicators under his command.

"I know this technology and its risks, so I have thought about every eventuality for its programming," said Korr with a smile. He was quite confident in his work and knew that Thor was about to eat his own arrogance.

Thor examined the data for a few seconds and then looked at him without speaking.

"These are not the replicators we know," said Thor reluctantly.

"As I said before, in my travels, I found another knowledge base about the replicators, which allowed me to create my own programming. Of course, I didn't change the base program too much because in this case, the replicators would be easy to hack," explained Korr. "With this, do the Asgard think it's possible for these replicators to get out of my control?" he added.

Thor made an almost imperceptible grimace. The replicator programming they knew was done by an android with a childish mind. His was corrected by himself, who already knew how the replicator program would act.

"It's unlikely," admitted Thor. Since swallowing his words must have cost him a lot, Korr didn't insist and just nodded.

"The situation where you lose control of the replicators you created may not come, but can you ensure that those who serve you can do the same?" Thor asked.

It was evident that he wasn't referring to 00 and the

Others but to the Goa'uld who served him. Korr clenched his teeth because he couldn't deny that possibility.

"If the Goa'uld following you attempt to program this technology, could they do it safely?" Thor asked. Korr looked at him with enmity. This gray troll was too vindictive, wanting him to eat his words as well.

"It's possible," snapped Korr, and Thor nodded.

Korr had to admit that any of his minor lords could cause a disaster if they tried to create a replicator, and one of them had already tried to steal it. The Goa'uld were not an example of loyalty.

"I am willing to destroy the replicators after the situation in the galaxy stabilizes," said Korr because the replicators were his backup plan if something went wrong.

Korr wasn't going to get rid of his backup plan for fear of a potential disaster. However, after they were no longer needed, it would be an unnecessary risk.

"I'm glad you're reasonable on this point," said Thor.

"I'm also glad that the Asgard are reasonable," replied Korr.

"What would you ask for the anti-replicator weapon technology?" Thor asked.

Korr had already obtained all the technology from the Asgard and assumed they were already doing their part not to hold him accountable, so he didn't push the situation.

"Time. I don't want to force things on Earth, and I want them to go at their own pace and overcome their own problems. With the anti-replicator weapon, you will be free of them and can intervene in the Milky Way, protecting Earth."

"If this happens, they might decide to abandon the fight and accept your protection, leaving the rest of the galaxy in chaos. I don't want Earth to end up as an Asgard zoo," said Korr sincerely.

Worlds protected by the Asgard were mere display fish tanks; if they did the same on Earth, it would be a tragedy for him.

"The Asgard also believe that Earth could become a force for peace in your galaxy, so we agree to 'not interfere' in your development," said Thor, emphasizing his words.

Korr looked at him seriously; apparently, their intervention wasn't liked either, but those words reminded him of things he preferred not to remember.

"I'm not trying to create a political party or movement; I'm just making sure they keep their heads while moving forward because they also have the potential to become a great 'disaster,'" replied Korr in a calm tone.

"That would be their decision…"

"Their decision?" Korr asked angrily, and his eyes glowed, but he hurried to control himself.

Korr took a deep breath; he truly hated that word. He had heard it many times in his past life. He had considered erasing it from his memory, despite it not being an implanted memory; they were things that made him lose his calm, and it was evident that he could never let go of his hatred. Now he also realized the reason he didn't erase that part of his memory was that he couldn't let go of his hatred.

Korr looked at Thor, who was looking at him with what he assumed was an expression of surprise on his face.

"On Earth, there are billions of people, and their governments don't represent even five percent of them," explained Korr briefly.

"I understand," said Thor. "We will evaluate the situation on Earth more closely," he added, and Korr nodded. He passed on the information about the anti-replicator weapon.

"Can you do anything to help with our genetic research?" Thor asked, transitioning to the topic of his genetic disease.

"If it's a new body capable of containing all your knowledge and memories without diminishing your intelligence and even enhancing your brain capabilities, there's no problem because it's something I can already do," said Korr, pointing to himself. "But I think that's not what the Asgard want."

"If any body were acceptable to you, you might as well transfer your consciousness to a symbiote or even to a ship or android body," Thor nodded to confirm his words. The Asgard wanted to remain Asgard and wouldn't accept anything else. "Your genetic material has degenerated for thousands of years, reverse engineering it while making improvements to adapt your new capabilities is possible using the biotechnology knowledge I possess, which is far superior to yours. But such research will take at least three years as we can only test different combinations in its evolutionary path to repair the damage."

"This time is not exact but the time the bio-ship will take to run all possible simulations on your genetic material and obtain a stable sample. The experiment could be completed in the first simulation or the last, it all depends on luck," explained Korr. Thor seemed surprised.

"The Asgard hadn't thought of that approach; we don't have the technology to calculate and simulate the progression of a species or its future evolutionary improvements," explained Thor.

"This is one I developed by gathering information from various technological bases, and I know a species whose origin was a genetic experiment, and all its genetic material is a complete map for genetic engineering," explained Korr.

Korr already had a viable body for the Asgard, thanks to the Wraith and their simulation experiments with Asgard genetic material, but it was a body that didn't evolve or adapt, no more than a droid. Korr didn't consider it a success, and he wouldn't present an incomplete experiment as his work; that was beneath him, especially when he could achieve perfection.

"Once it's ready, I'll get in touch with you. For now, you can start implementing these few advancements," said Korr, transmitting information to stabilize the genetic degeneration of Asgard clones through a Wraith cell treatment.

Wraith cells were the origin of bionanites, and the Asgard could turn them into a biological weapon as well. However, lacking Wraith genetic knowledge, it would take them a lifetime to modify anything.

Thor reviewed the information and seemed surprised again.

"Part of this genetic information corresponds to the Ancients," said Thor.

"This was one of their many attempts to modify their own genetics and extend their lives. From my point of view, it's a resounding success, but for the Ancients, it was another failure. On the other hand, these cells are extremely aggressive, and so far, I haven't found anything capable of resisting them, not even a Goa'uld symbiote. That makes them ideal for bioengineering," explained Korr.

"That's certainly an alternative use," said Thor.

"Well, I think that's all; I have important matters to attend to," said Korr, and Thor nodded.

The Asgard ships infected by replicators were beginning to move again. Korr didn't suggest any war strategy because the Asgard already knew the replicators, and using the new weapon indiscriminately would eventually lead the replicators to adapt to it, causing problems again.

Korr activated hyperdrive and returned to his own empire. Shaiya was starting, and he had to take advantage of all the initial advantages; he couldn't abandon his game for minor matters with the Asgard.

…

The Unknown.

The Unknown walked toward the bridge of a Ha'tak. As he did, he observed the Jaffa along the way, bowing their heads to greet him. Some passed by, considering their guard duties more important than the presence of a god before them.

The Unknown also noticed other Goa'uld on this Ha'tak who took this behavior as normal despite it being a clear sign of their own decadence.

The Unknown didn't bother to correct it, just noting in his mind each of the present Goa'uld. He would set an example with them later.

…

Upon reaching the bridge, the Unknown saw Apophis sitting on his throne, escorted by four Jaffa and indulging in the company of two human women caressing his face. "Pathetic parasite," thought the Unknown. It would always be a shame to him that this low creature had forced him to retreat once.

The Unknown looked at Apophis with disdain, standing firm. His current appearance was his body, surrounded by a psychic power shield that allowed him to interact with this plane of existence. But what Apophis saw was a human host—fair-skinned, 1.68m tall, half bald, and somewhat chubby—bowing to him.

"Nut, your god congratulates you on your success," praised Apophis. "Do you wish any reward for your achievements?" he asked.

"Serving my god is my greatest reward," said the Unknown—or so Apophis thought. In reality, he only observed him with disdain, and everything Apophis saw and heard was an illusion.

The Unknown could easily control this embarrassing parasite, but he didn't want a position among the System Lords yet. For now, he had to remain hidden because there wasn't enough chaos. If he revealed himself, taking Apophis's place, the System Lords and Korr would come after him.

The Unknown didn't fear the System Lords, but Korr was different. He couldn't face him with flies buzzing in his ears. The System Lords needed to be in chaos so that Korr couldn't use them against him.

To complete this plan, the Unknown had infiltrated the ranks of Apophis, earning his trust to turn him against Korr. This wouldn't be difficult because Korr had kidnapped Apophis's queen and taken the body Apophis planned to use for a host change. The Unknown refrained from attacking because he knew Korr had a superior fleet and had gained greater control over naquadriah, causing him to retreat. The Unknown took care of dispelling that fear by increasing the efficiency of the naquadriah energy source by thirty percent.

"Nut, you've done a great job; your god is pleased. If you achieve what you've promised, I'll appoint you commander of ten of my Ha'taks," offered Apophis. "For now, I'll make one of my Ha'taks available to you," Apophis added, and the illusion bowed.

"My god, I also have another project that will be worthy of your glory, and with the new energy source, I believe it's possible," proposed the illusion with some excitement, raising a hand to display a hologram of a Ha'tak five times larger than the current ones, with more cannons and firepower.

Apophis's eyes gleamed. The Unknown knew he was working on his own flagship, so he offered this more advanced model to prevent Apophis from hesitating to attack Korr. Korr's flagship was a significant deterrent to the System Lords.

Apophis didn't hesitate and sent one of his servants to take the ship's blueprints.

"You will undoubtedly be rewarded for this," Apophis said with a smile promising future vengeance.

The Unknown also smiled with satisfaction. Causing this embarrassing parasite to commit suicide brought him some amusement.

NA: Korr and the Asgard take their first steps toward an agreement. The Unknown continues planning his rise to power undetected by Korr. Heru-ur and Apophis are in his sights.

Note: CLARIFICATION: There might be a small confusion regarding the Replicators in this chapter. Just to clarify, the replicator technology that the Asgard want Korr to destroy, and that he has agreed to set aside, is the technology of the insectoid Replicators. It is not the nanites; if it were, the Asgard would have also taken action against Earth. Nor is it the human Replicators, as these are living and sentient beings, and the Asgard would not act against them unless they attempt to attack first.