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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

In the latter case, only really, really drunk and/or stupid people. and even then, the Mythbusters showed it just wasn't that likely to cause any kind of electric shock. Something about the stream getting too scattered unless you were practically touching it...
Dogs and drunks have occasionally been that stupid, though it's also possible that they did touch it, since the angle makes it thankfully unseen.

EDIT: I'm not going to look for a video, since I'm not that invested in this, but I recall seeing some.
 
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Ah. Spare parts, eh? Surprised they bothered to give them names.

Maybe she gave some of them names.

Or the doctors did it, but it wasn't out of a sense of compassion.

People can give cars names and titles, but they're still cars.

If anything, the propaganda types might well use her misbehaviour as a humanising trait. Make her seem a little less robotically fanatical. Play her up as a jolly prankster

Yeah, they probably don't want that.

I'm guessing a lot of people look up to them and try to emulate them, so the Nazis probably don't want insubordination to become viewed as an admirable trait.

Though he's still able to channel Will, of course. But then, the Green light doesn't need much in the way of entanglement or investment to work, just determination.

Yeah, the Green Light is basically the only light which you can force out.

Just not in the way some tabloids might have tried to suggest, shortly before Lex would have them sued out of business for it. 😏

I mean, we know Lex is crazy, so those tabloids may not be completely wrong.

Sadly, some useless parents consider children that way even in our world.

Parents of some child stars or beauty pageants.

I had an idea for a story in which a deal making demon goes to a children's beauty pageant in order to convince the parents to sell him the souls of their children in order to have them win.

However, after seeing the sheer emotiona, mental and physical damage the children go through, he concludes that there's very little torture the demons can implement on them that would be worse then what's happening, so he leaves.

Heh. A fine pair, the two of them. Designer babies made by super-science for not-necessarily good reasons...

And both were made by xenophobes using the stolen DNA of heroes.

Is that a correction? What's wrong

No, it's not a correction.

Mitchell said that Luthor just wanted to kill Superman, but thought that his creation meant that he may also want something else.

I was just clarifying that he had Mitchell made to kill Superman.
 
No, it's not a correction.

Mitchell said that Luthor just wanted to kill Superman, but thought that his creation meant that he may also want something else.

I was just clarifying that he had Mitchell made to kill Superman.
Ah, no. Mitchell is pointing out that Lex didn't need to bother with a Superman replacement. If a covert murder attempt worked, he could just carry on with his day.
 
"Do you need kidneys that… Ah, have… Super speed?"

She looks at me as if I said something stupid. "Yes, of course I do. What do you think happens if most of my body can survive moving at lightspeed but one organ cannot?"

I guess my presumption would have been that her body generated a "superspeed field" (you know, the Flash's old 'speed aura') that makes her able to move at lightspeed, not that every organ had to be specifically equipped for that. In the same way that she was able to move at superspeed earlier this scene without shredding the ID card she was carrying.

Of course, that may be the case and it would have been fine to not have a superspeed kidney, but the project managers were like, "Oh well we're going to dispose of Gertrude anyway, let's stick the kidney in just in case, you know?" Kind of seems like how those sorts of guys would think.
 
"They never made that into an actual game, did they?"

I tear my eyes away from… I don't think this is my thing. And look at Johanna instead. "You mean, like, a board game, or do some people try it on real electric fences?"

"I meant the first one, but why would anyone try it with a real electric fence?"

"I don't know? Some people aren't all that smart, I guess. Um. Can I ask you a question?"
Been an age since I've seen a Ren and Stimpy reference anywhere.
 
Starbate (part 8) New
22nd November 1999
17:57 GMT


Tey's eyes dance with laughter as I walk out onto the balcony, her face-. I've actually managed to make her blush. She covers her mouth with her fist and half turns her head away. Huy remains impassive, her disinterested glare boring into me. No one else here on Bastet's private balcony. I assume that servants must come in here at some point, but for now everyone's keeping their distance.

"Um." I move my eyes from one to the other. "Marks out of ten?"

Tey doubles over. "Hahheeheeheehah! Oh, what world do you come from where they do such… Things! Were you some great lady's concubine-"

"Um."

"-trained in the art of pleasure? Or were you ruled by Kamadeva or Oshun, and such things are just normal to you?"

Huy raises her left eyebrow, an expression I've seen on the Teal'c android's face on a couple of occasions.

"No, I-."

"And you have ruined Afareen for other men! You will have to take her as your concubine when her year is over!"

"No, her future husband will simply have to raise his game. Though I.. thank you for the compliment you are paying me. I, ah. I wasn't quite sure how the sensation passed on to the goa'uld within the host, so I thought… Best to be thorough."

With the ring letting me monitor her responses in real time, reliably find nerve endings and boosting my stamina… Well, when you're with a living goddess who rules hundreds of systems, you make sure to give it your all.

I glance back towards Bastet's inner sanctum.

It turns out that goa'uld hosts need rest when they're… Exhausted.

Huy's eyes narrow. "Where do you come from? What god rules there?"

"As far as I know we don't have any goa'uld. Certainly none that live openly. Somehow we had a successful rebellion against Ra about five thousand years ago, and we only-."

Her eyes widen. "You are Tau'ri!"

"Yes, but you have to understand, Earth isn't a politically unified planet. With no god to impose order, the humans there live in hundreds of separate nations and frequently make war upon one another. The Tau'ri who have been making a name for themselves fighting Ra and Apophis represent only one of those nations. I come from another."

"Are you enemies, then?"

"No. Honestly, we're not even competition, really. I just don't want to imply that I consider them to have any authority over me." I look them over. "So..? Are you here in case Bastet wants to… Keep trying?"

"No." Tey has mostly recovered herself. "No. We are here because if you are to act as our goddess's regent, you must learn how her realm is administered."

"Ah, thank you, but don't we have… Over a year? Before I can even try to impregnate her true body."

Tey shakes her head. "As she informed you, as the pregnancy progresses control of their shared body will change… Unpredictably, between Queen Bastet and Afareen. It would be awkward should that happen during an official meeting. Naturally, Afareen has been instructed on how to behave should it occur, but it would be awkward if it were noticed."

I nod. "Okay. How far into the pregnancy will that start to happen?"

"It has been some time since Queen Bastet bore a child, but the oldest records suggest that it is the last two months of the pregnancy where things will become most difficult for them. Depending on when she becomes pregnant-"

"Nine days."

"-she-. Nine days?"

"Based on the part of her fertility cycle she's in, that seems most likely. Ah, that Afareen is in. I haven't found any information on miscarriage rates in host pregnancies. I imagine that they're near-zero late term…"

And I should stop talking, because 'inner circle' these women might be, they still think of Bastet as a goddess. And it's not like I can't just move an egg from Afareen's ovary and induce-. No, no, leave it and let nature take it's course. I can't be there to monitor every moment of every day.

I give them a self-effacing smile. "Well, that's my best guess. Will you be observing..? Ah, future efforts?"

"I don't think so." Tey giggles like a woman a third of her age. "Not unless I want ideas for my husband! We just need to be able to confirm that the two of you were intimate during the period where her child will be conceived."

I raise my eyebrows at Huy, but she doesn't respond.

"Ah..?"

Tey frowns at her. "Huy…"

Huy stares over my shoulder. "I am my goddess's servant in all things. If you are to be her husband then you are to be her husband. That I do not understand why she did not pick literally any other man in her domain is my failing alone."

"My impiety, my low level of military preparedness or something else?"

"You pretended to be a god! And now you stand here completely without shame!"

Shame? You did just watch me-.

No, wrong approach. Try again.

"I pretended to be a goa'uld. And look what happened. System Lord Bastet's realm is the stronger for it, and she detected me when no one else did. I'd rather have been completely undetected, but if I have to be spotted then being spotted by my boss is probably the next best thing." I nod slowly. "I underestimated her. I'll have to try to avoid doing that in future."

"Do you not even see how ridiculous your position is? Of course you could not escape Bastet's detection. I suspect that the other gods of her domain are merely humouring you for her sake!"

"Now now." I smirk. "I'm not a goa'uld. I never said that I wasn't a god."

She clenches her fists. "I will-."

I make an upwards flicking gesture with my right hand, causing the stone paving of the balcony to flow upwards into a peak next to me. I then rise off the ground, floating with my feet level with her knees.

"System Lord Bastet keeps me around for very good reasons. Just as Supreme System Lord Ra's warriors were not Jaffa but could still fight extremely well, the fact that I am not a goa'uld does not mean that my achievements didn't happen or that my abilities aren't real."

Huy's face relaxes a little, and she reaches out to poke the stone. Discovering that it is in fact real and solid, she takes a very careful breath.

"Oh, silly me. Let me fix that before she wakes up. I would be a poor guest if I damaged her home."

Huy inclines her head. "I-. I apologise, my lord."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm taking this as a learning experience. For both of us. If you're going to be leading Bastet's armies while she convalesces, it's best if we each know what the other is capable of."

"As.. you say."

"So." I smile. "Priestess Tey. I've met all of Bastet's Underlords, but I've only met a couple of the minor gods who serve her directly. Why don't we start with them?"
 
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I make an upwards flicking gesture with my right hand, causing the stone paving of the balcony to flow upwards into a peak next to me. I then rise off the ground, floating with my feet level with her knees.

"System Lord Bastet keeps me around for very good reasons. Just as Supreme System Lord Ra's warriors were not Jaffa but could still fight extremely well, the fact that I am not a goa'uld does not mean that my achievements didn't happen or that my abilities aren't real."

Huy's face relaxes a little, and she reaches out to poke the stone. Discovering that it is in fact real and solid, she takes a very careful breath.

"Oh, silly me. Let me fix that before she wakes up. I would be a poor guest if I damaged her home."

Huy inclines her head. "I-. I apologise, my lord."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm taking this as a learning experience. For both of us. If you're going to be leading Bastet's armies while she convalesces, it's best if we each know what the other is capable of."

"As.. you say."

"So." I smile. "Priestess Tey. I've met all of Bastet's Underlords, but I've only met a couple of the minor gods who serve her directly. Why don't we start with them?"
Now I wish we could see more people be amazed at what Mammon can really do. Perhaps he could assimilate a few enemies to gain info?
 
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23rd November 1999
17:57 GMT


Tey's eyes dance with laughter as I walk out onto the balcony, her face-. I've actually managed to make her blush. Her covers her mouth with her fist and half turns her head away. Huy remains impassive, her disinterested glare boring into me. No one else here on Bastet's private balcony. I assume that servants must come in here at some point, but for now everyone's keeping their distance.

"Um." I move my eyes from one to the other. "Marks out of ten?"
Evidently he put on quite the show. Especially if he can elicit such a reaction form a sensible lady like Tey. No doubt Bastet's host is currently a moaning puddle of cat-like satisfaction in the bed. After all, Lanterns make for great lovers...

Tey doubles over. "Hahheeheeheehah! Oh, what world do you come from where they do such… Things! Were you some great lady's concubine-"

"Um."
What, they don't do foreplay around here? Or was it quite the show of tantric skill? 😘 ...Were tentacles involved?

"-trained in the art of pleasure? Or were you ruled by Kamadeva or Oshun, and such things are just normal to you?"

Huy raises her left eyebrow, an expression I've seen on the Teal'c android's face on a couple of occasions.
It's probably a Jaffa thing. The higher the rank, the less demonstrative they seem to be emotionally.

"No, I-."

"And you have ruined Afareen for other men! You will have to take her as your concubine when her year is over!"
...Ah, right, the host. Bastet doesn't keep a permanent 'ride', after all...

"No, her future husband will simple have to raise his game. Though I.. thank you for the compliment you are paying me. I, ah. I wasn't quit sure how the sensation passed on to the goa'uld within the host, so I though… Best to be thorough."

With the ring letting me monitor her responses in real time, reliably find nerve endings and boosting my stamina… Well, when you're with a living goddess who rules hundreds of systems, you make sure to give it your all.
I suspect the Bastet Goa'uld is wondering just what the hell she's gotten herself into. Especialyl if she can impart those skills onto her offspring. Imagine a host of young Goa'uld who can seduce anyone...

I glance back towards Bastet's inner sanctum.

It turns out that goa'uld hosts need rest when they're… Exhausted.
I hope her throat isn't too sore from all the screaming she no doubt did.

Huy's eyes narrow. "Where do you come from? What god rules there?"

"As far as I know we don't have any goa'uld. Certainly none that live openly. Somehow we had a successful rebellion against Ra about five thousand years ago, and we only-."
Well, just drop the big bomb, then, Mammon. :p

Her eyes widen. "You are Tau'ri!"

"Yes, but you have to understand, Earth isn't a politically unified planet. With no god to impose order, the humans there live in hundreds of separate nations and frequently make war upon one another. The Tau'ri who have been making a name for themselves fighting Ra and Apophis represent only one of those nations. I come from another."
Though I doubt they'd find any trace of you if you gave them your real name, not that you could.

"Are you enemies, then?"

"No. Honestly, we're not even competition, really. I just don't want to imply that I consider them to have any authority over me." I look them over. "So..? Are you here in case Bastet wants to… Keep trying?"
...I think she'd rather wait until she can feel her legs again. And walk straight.

"No." Tey has mostly recovered herself. "No. We are here because if you are to act as our goddess's regent, you must learn how her realm is administered."

"Ah, thank you, but don't we have… Over a year? Before I can even try to impregnate her true body."
Careful preparation, then. By the time you step up, you should be a master of civic management.

Tey shakes her head. "As she informed you, as the pregnancy progresses control of their shared body will change… Unpredictably, between Queen Bastet and Afareen. It would be awkward should that happen during an official meeting. Naturally, Afareen has been instructed on how to behave should it occur, but it would be awkward if it were noticed."
Though the only obvious difference might only be a slight waver in her voice. Still, goa'uld would sense even the slightest weakness, and get ideas.

I nod. "Okay. How far into the pregnancy will that start to happen?"

"It has been some time since Queen Bastet bore a child, but the oldest records suggest that it is the last two months of the pregnancy where things will become most difficult for them. Depending on when she becomes pregnant-"
So, closer to seven months at the minimum before he has to really take an active role.

"Nine days."

"-she-. Nine days?"
Ring sensors for the win, eh?

"Based on the part of her fertility cycle she's in, that seems most likely. Ah, that Afareen is in. I haven't found any information on miscarriage rates in host pregnancies. I imagine that they're near-zero late term…"

And I should stop talking, because 'inner circle' these women might be, they still think of Bastet as a goddess. And it's not like I can't just move an egg from Afareen's ovary and induce-. No, no, leave it and let nature take it's course. I can't be there to monitor every moment of every day.
And Bastet would probably not want a hovering mate lurking around. Not as independent as she is.

I give them a self-effacing smile. "Well, that's my best guess. Will you be observing..? Ah, future efforts?"

"I don't think so." Tey giggles like a woman a third of her age. "Not unless I want ideas for my husband! We just need to be able to confirm that the two of you were intimate during the period where her child will be conceived."
So hopefully no audience needed next time.

I raise my eyebrows at Huy, but she doesn't respond.

"Ah..?"

Tey frowns at her. "Huy…"
Oh, did someone discover something about herself back there?

Huy stares over my shoulder. "I am my goddess's servant in all things. If you are to be her husband then you are to be her husband. That I do not understand why she did not pick literally any other man in her domain is my failing alone."

"My impiety, my low level of military preparedness or something else?"
How about all of the above?

"You pretended to be a god! And now you stand here completely without shame!"

Shame? You did just watch me-.

No, wrong approach. Try again.
Not that kind of shame, no. ...I hope he's at least wearing a robe or something.

"I pretended to be a goa'uld. And look what happened. System Lord Bastet's realm is the stronger for it, and she detected me when no one else did. I'd rather have been completely undetected, but if I have to be spotted then being spotted by my boss is probably the next best thing." I nod slowly. "I underestimated her. I'll have to try to avoid doing that in future."
Heh. Don't think they won't pick up on that distinction. But yes, probably best to have your employer in the know, at the minimum.

"Do you not even see how ridiculous your position is? Of course you could not escape Bastet's detection. I suspect that the other gods of her domain are merely humouring you for her sake!"

"Now now." I smirk. "I'm not a goa'uld. I never said that I wasn't a god."
Or at least as close to one as a Lantern can get, which is... Honestly pretty close, especially one who leans into the metaphysical aspects of their Light.

She clenches her fists. "I will-."

I make an upwards flicking gesture with my right hand, causing the stone paving of the balcony to flow upwards into a peak next to me. I then rise off the ground, floating with my feet level with her knees.
...You were saying, ma'am? If nothing else, a display like that would intimidate most people..

"System Lord Bastet keeps me around for very good reasons. Just as Supreme System Lord Ra's warriors were not Jaffa but could still fight extremely well, the fact that I am not a goa'uld does not mean that my achievements didn't happen or that my abilities aren't real."

Huy's face relaxes a little, and she reaches out to poke the stone. Discovering that it is in fact real and solid, she takes a very careful breath.
Yes, she's having a very nasty realisation about him, isn't she?

"Oh, silly me. Let me fix that before she wakes up. I would be a poor guest if I damaged her home."

Huy inclines her head. "I-. I apologise, my lord."
And well you should. He's going to be your boss eventually.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm taking this as a learning experience. For both of us. If you're going to be leading Bastet's armies while she convalesces, it's best if we each know what the other is capable of."

"As.. you say."

"So." I smile. "Priestess Tey. I've met all of Bastet's Underlords, but I've only met a couple of the minor gods who serve her directly. Why don't we start with them?"
And back to business with nary a second thought. More than some Goa'uld can manage after an outburst, certainly.

I'll bet the servants have taken a very wide berth of the lady's quarters. Though the gossip mill will be spinning into high gear if they made quite the caterwauling racket. At least he seems to have won the approval of Bastet's highest palace subordinates with that divine display. So, before long he'll basically have the run of the place while Bastet's pre-occupied. The possibilites abound.
 
Could he assimilate the gou'uld and not the host to be completely undetected that way?
He did that already. When he went and assassinated that one (its why people have commented on the glowing orange gou'uld before). The genetic memories were so much that he ended up implanting it into him properly to help him with the load.
 
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I enjoy the Stargate episodes, and hope we have more. Especially with updates on Mammon's accelerated uplifting of his planet. I wonder how access to the Earth's 1999 internet connection affected it, copies of every uploaded textbook or scientific paper may allow better uplifting since he might not have to wing it as much with other stuff to fill in any gaps.

Mammon having a child he'd blow up star systems for would also be great to see.
 
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1999 internet, via a government site that deals with the odd alien virus infection was likely locked down a fair bit, and still predates most of the kind of things that you'd use for uplift. It's not like they had Wiki at that point, or Archive.org. Without good central repositories he'd have to hit local intranets at universities for papers, and for most literature your best bet would be the US Library of Congress. Smaller Libraries would be ok, but not likely have a good summary of all the subjects and detail you'd need. Grabbing a few school libaraires for kids would work for starting out but lack the real technical know how you need.
 
1999 internet, via a government site that deals with the odd alien virus infection was likely locked down a fair bit, and still predates most of the kind of things that you'd use for uplift. It's not like they had Wiki at that point, or Archive.org. Without good central repositories he'd have to hit local intranets at universities for papers, and for most literature your best bet would be the US Library of Congress. Smaller Libraries would be ok, but not likely have a good summary of all the subjects and detail you'd need. Grabbing a few school libaraires for kids would work for starting out but lack the real technical know how you need.
The canon version of Stargate Command was air-gaped to the point the only outside connection was the direct phone line to the President.

Zoat changed that for this story though so he could have his SI grab everything. So the answer is that Mammom has whatever he needs to have.
 
The canon version of Stargate Command was air-gaped to the point the only outside connection was the direct phone line to the President.

Zoat changed that for this story though so he could have his SI grab everything. So the answer is that Mammom has whatever he needs to have.
Technically, there were other connections in the series such as linking to Area 51 and some closer to the surface.

Sure, there are air gaps, but something like the elevator security system is shared by NORAD has some access in the facility since it needs access to use the main entry/exit elevator.

You also have several PC's with internet connections that are used during the series, mainly in reference to email or web searches...the later is part of a joke with Daniel about Vala having "borrowed" his credit card when they were going to let her off base and wanted clothes to blend in.
 
Technically, there were other connections in the series such as linking to Area 51 and some closer to the surface.

Sure, there are air gaps, but something like the elevator security system is shared by NORAD has some access in the facility since it needs access to use the main entry/exit elevator.

You also have several PC's with internet connections that are used during the series, mainly in reference to email or web searches...the later is part of a joke with Daniel about Vala having "borrowed" his credit card when they were going to let her off base and wanted clothes to blend in.

Also air-gapping has literally never been a problem for lantern rings ever, either in this series or in various canon (at least barring broken ring like Scott's). I brought this up last time Vae mentioned this, but he ignored it.
 
Nice conclusion, pity that Paul had the mind to not reveal that this was his first time with a woman. Their reaction to that reveal would have been...informative.

Anyway, another minor problem in the Story Only thread, specifically on this post.

Alright. Just.. spend the day watching television. See if there's something on that Lynne wants to watch, put her on my lap and let my brain go to sleep. That sounds like a… An acceptable idea. Feeling a little more like myself, I push open the living room door and-.

!!!

"https://ibb.co/FWsCTWNHello, my son."
Self=Darkseid
Darkseid sits quite calmly in my chair, a clearly terrified Lynne silently weeping on his left knee. His left arm lays on the arm of the chair while his right hand closes a book… Victoria, which he then puts on the table.

That link. Is it supposed to be a text link? Because it seems that something broke there.
 
Starbate (part 9) New
23rd November 1999
02:21 GMT

"Lord Mammon."


Having roused herself and bathed, System Lord Bastet ordered that a private dinner be readied while I received the first part of my education in my future duties from her…

I mentally smile at the term.

'Gal pals'.

And once the meal was prepared and she'd had time to array herself, I was summoned and they were released back to their regular duties.

A private dinner for the two of us, about a dozen Jaffa guards standing at the ready around the room, and five or six servers of various types.

"System Lord Bastet." I bow, but she rolls her eyes and gestures to the couch opposite her. "Thank you."

"I believe that there are things that we must discuss about your new station." She smiles as a tureen of soup and a plate of flat breads are brought forth and placed on the low table between us. "Though I admit that I think it will be more amusing to instead ask you what you think that you need to know."

A young serving maid looks at me questioningly, and I nod. She raises a ladle and serves me a bowl of vegetable soup.

"I.. suppose that the first thing to ask is what you consider appropriate to say in front of human witnesses."

"You may discuss law and politics freely, and our personal relations as well. Details of technology and science make for poor dinner conversation."

"Then I suppose that I should ask what I am to call you. I have been erring on the side of caution in using your full title, but given… Our current relationship, perhaps it would be more appropriate to use your name, if only in private?"

"Lord Mammon, you have been my favourite for some time. It was 'appropriate' when you discovered the error in the sarcophagus."

"And yet you call me 'Lord'."

She smiles fondly. "I sometimes think that you need to be reminded of your rank. You seem oddly uncomfortable with the title."

I nod as I take a flatbread. "I spent a long time without being a 'Lord'. Abandoning that ego was a big part of how I became what I am today. Bastet, then. But… I was also wondering if a… Pet name was also appropriate."

She smiles fades faintly. "'Pet' name?"

"Yes. It was fairly common practice on the world of my birth for couples to refer to one another by a term of endearment rather than by name. Is that not something that happens here?"

She looks mildly intrigued. "It is not something that has happened to me, but I have not before attempted this particular form of courtship. I will tolerate this. Make certain that it is a good one."

'Pussycat' shelved.

The vegetable matter in the soup appears to be a mixture of grains and legumes, and a combination of spices which I can't immediately identify. Certainly, it's not quite like anything I've had when I've been here before. But I think I like it.

"A new recipe?"

"Public dining is a ritual in which I display the wealth and power of my realm. Private dining is a different matter."

"I think we have different definitions of 'private'. A privilege of not being a System Lord, I suppose."

I try the bread, and… I don't think it's wheat, but the texture is pleasant.

"It is still so strange to hear you call it a privilege. Most gods would relish the chance to display wealth, even if they could ill-afford it."

"They would be better served playing the long game. Bite your tongue today, and quietly but smugly lord it over your enemies in a few centuries." I sigh. "Though I can be pleased that the tendency to not do that is shared by those idiots in the Tok'Ra."

"Which brings us on to the subject of our children."

I nod cautiously.

"Your expressed a desire to involve yourself. What manner of life would you plan for them?"

"For a human child it is impossible to say until their particular talents reveal themselves. I… Am tempted to arrange for them to be educated on a world that is more technologically advanced than those in your domain."

"You would give them over to the Tau'ri?"

"I would sneak them into a school somewhere on Earth, in the guise of a wealthy merchant. They would have to learn a couple of languages first, but beyond that the range of cultures common in such schools would cause the other children to overlook any oddities. Or there are other worlds, off the stargate network."

"I have not yet quickened and you are already planning to abandon our child." She raises her eyebrows mockingly. "Are you certain that you want to become a father?"

"I don't intend to abandon them. If needs be we can relocate a stargate and buy some land wherever we choose to send them to build a home for them. But unlike System Lord Yu, you use minor gods to rule all of the worlds in your domain. Putting a human in charge of one would be awkward, since they would not share the gods' knowledge base."

"There are significant roles that are performed by humans."

"True, but… Unless you're planning on bearing more than one child, I think it would be better to establish a new tradition. Being your child would set them apart from their fellows anyway. I think it would be best to let them create a unique role for themselves in your civilisation." I frown. "Unless they turn out to be a wastrel, in which case maybe they could act as a host for one of their siblings."

"I would want to see the world your proposed to have them educated on and the school you wish to send them to."

"I will do my due diligence and submit a full report."

"I will wait with great curiosity. And our divine children?"

"We are well aware of the usual drives which queens bestow upon their children. But the success of your realm is based on the actions of Underlords who have risen above the need to constantly expand and dominate all those around them. Do you intend to raise an heir, or a new Underlord tied to you by blood?"

"Why would I need an heir?"

"Each of your Underlords in content in their place. The only thing that could disrupt your domain is if they were no longer certain that they could continue to live as they prefer to. That and that alone could turn your domain into a mirror of nearly every other domain in the galaxy, with Underlords constantly at one another's throats. And the only way that could happen is if you were killed in such a way that you could not be resurrected. Raising an heir ensures continuity, and ensures that if the worst comes to pass then your realm will remain whole, your ideas continue and your death will be avenged."

"Planning for my death already? It usually takes longer."

I look her directly in the eyes. "Perhaps I should say something romantic, about wanting to spend eternity with you and that your death is unthinkable. But the truth is that having a plan for your death is a necessity for a competent ruler, and you are certainly that. I would do everything I could to keep you alive, but I am not all-powerful. And I have yet to discover whether or not cloning gods is practical or useful."

"And what gifts should I pass on from my ancestors?"

"They have all the time in the universe to learn new skills, but few goa'uld rise above the mindset their mothers grant them. I would say that the most important thing to share with them is sagacity, and an instinctive understanding of why it is necessary. Ambition on its own goa'uld have a surfeit of, but dedication to an ideal may serve to motivate them just as well while avoiding the pitfalls of vainglorious pride and foolhardy arrogance."

"You would have me neglect the greatest advantage our kind has over mortals?"

"I would de-emphasise it. I don't know how the process works, how much… Ancestral attitude is bound up in the technical data."

"It would be a challenge, but I understand your reasoning and I believe that it is worth the attempt. Now, what plans have you made to continue our courtship?"
 
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Technically, there were other connections in the series such as linking to Area 51 and some closer to the surface.

Sure, there are air gaps, but something like the elevator security system is shared by NORAD has some access in the facility since it needs access to use the main entry/exit elevator.

You also have several PC's with internet connections that are used during the series, mainly in reference to email or web searches...the later is part of a joke with Daniel about Vala having "borrowed" his credit card when they were going to let her off base and wanted clothes to blend in.
Those were added later in the timeline, this is still Season 1 of 2.

Also, you might want to to back and check out just how he did it.


Also air-gapping has literally never been a problem for lantern rings ever, either in this series or in various canon (at least barring broken ring like Scott's). I brought this up last time Vae mentioned this, but he ignored it.
Actual air gaping was shown to be effective in story to the point he needed to generate a filament to connect to those systems instead of forcing his way through their wireless systems.
 
Those were added later in the timeline, this is still Season 1 of 2.

Also, you might want to to back and check out just how he did it.

The Elevator thing predated the series, but had a later update that I think was during Season 6/7 but was used before that with references to a few times people escaped about logging people coming into SGC or leaving. The same system was also tied to the main escape stairwells out of the SGC but not inside of it. That system was put in due to NORAD being right above them and originally part of the same command thing as the SGC was originally shifted to deep storage and extra space for NORAD when it stopped being used as a ICBM silo

For the internet and email, it actually popped up rather early in the series as a research thing, it also comes into play with the entire thing of finding Goa'uld artifacts on Earth, though I can't remember if that specifically came about before or after Osirus
 
23rd November 1999
02:21 GMT

"Lord Mammon."


Having roused herself and bathed, System Lord Bastet ordered that a private dinner be readied while I received the first part of my education in my future duties from her…
I expect part of that cleansing included some much needed massages to help restore her ability to stand without shaking. As it is, she might well be sitting on a very soft cushion for the sake of her aches.

I mentally smile at the term.

'Gal pals'.
I'll bet there was much playful teasing on Tey's part.

And once the meal was prepared and she'd had time to array herself, I was summoned and they were released back to their regular duties.

A private dinner for the two of us, about a dozen Jaffa guards standing at the ready around the room, and five or six servers of various types.
About as private as it could be for a pair of nobles in any culture. I expect the staff are very discreet.

"System Lord Bastet." I bow, but she rolls her eyes and gestures to the couch opposite her. "Thank you."

"I believe that there are things that we must discuss about your new station." She smiles as a tureen of soup and a plate of flat breads are brought forth and placed on the low table between us. "Though I admit that I think it will be more amusing to instead ask you what you think that you need to know."
Heh. Let him offer his ideas, so that she can confirm the correct ones and shoot down any mistaken ones. Very sensible.

A young serving maid looks at me questioningly, and I nod. She raises a ladle and serves me a bowl of vegetable soup.

"I.. suppose that the first thing to ask is what you consider appropriate to say in front of human witnesses."
After all, there's discreet, and then there's discreet.

"You may discuss law and politics freely, and our personal relations as well. Details of technology and science make for poor dinner conversation."

"Then I suppose that I should ask what I am to call you. I have been erring on the side of caution in using your full title, but given… Our current relationship, perhaps it would be more appropriate to use your name, if only in private?"
Reminds me of Japanese politeness in suffix use. It takes a lot of friendship and respect to earn the privilege of using someone's given name, much less skipping any honorifics.

"Lord Mammon, you have been my favourite for some time. It was 'appropriate' when you discovered the error in the sarcophagus."

"And yet you call me 'Lord'."
Boy, she really likes him for that one, eh? Then again, ensuring that she and her minions don't suffer gradual brain damage form their longevity devices has to be a big feather in his cap...

She smiles fondly. "I sometimes think that you need to be reminded of your rank. You seem oddly uncomfortable with the title."

I nod as I take a flatbread. "I spend a long time without being a 'Lord'. Abandoning that ego was a big part of how I became what I am today. Bastet, then. But… I was also wondering if a… Pet name was also appropriate."
Heh. Nicely done. To anyone listening, that would sound like he's talking about his time in the wilderness after Ra's discipline. But the two of them know it's about his actual nature.

She smiles fades faintly. "'Pet' name?"

"Yes. It was fairly common practice on the world of my birth for couples to refer to one another by a term of endearment rather than by name. Is that not something that happens here?"
Certainly not in public, I'll wager.

She looks mildly intrigued. "It is not something that has happened to me, but I have not before attempted this particular form of courtship. I will tolerate this. Make certain that it is a good one."

'Pussycat' shelved.
'Lioness' might be a good compliment, but it would fit Sekhmet better.

The vegetable matter in the soup appears to be a mixture of grains and legumes, and a combination of spices which I can't immediately identify. Certainly, it's not quite like anything I've had when I've been here before. But I think I like it.

"A new recipe?"
Well, not every meal need be a grand feast with dishes that take days to prepare...

"Public dining is a ritual in which I display the wealth and power of my realm. Private dining is a different matter."

"I think we have different definitions of 'private'. A privilege of not being a System Lord, I suppose."
Indeed, has anyone under Mammon's rule really seen him in private?

I try the bread, and… I don't think it's wheat, but the texture is pleasant.

"It is still so strange to hear you call it a privilege. Most gods would relish the chance to display wealth, even if they could ill-afford it."
And that's why they're so stupid. A strong ego does not need shoring up with conspicuous displays of wealth and power...

"They would be better served playing the long game. Bite your tongue today, and quietly but smugly lord it over your enemies in a few centuries." I sigh. "Though I can be pleased that the tendency to not do that is shared by those idiots in the Tok'Ra."

"Which brings us on to the subject of our children."
Ah, a more pleasant subject...

I nod cautiously.

"Your expressed a desire to involve yourself. What manner of life would you plan for them?"
See, there's your mistake. You don't plan their life for them, you arrange for them to make their own best life...

"For a human child it is impossible to say until their particular talents reveal themselves. I… Am tempted to arrange for them to be educated on a world that is more technologically advanced than those in your domain."

"You would give them over to the Tau'ri?"
Eh... Maybe not Americans, certainly.

"I would sneak them into a school somewhere on Earth, in the guise of a wealthy merchant. They would have to learn a couple of languages first, but beyond that the range of cultures common in such schools would cause the other children to overlook any oddities. Or there are other worlds, off the stargate network."
The trick is finding easy, discreet access to them without simply using his Ring. Pulling up in orbit in even a small ship might send the wrong message, and it's passage would be noted by others.

"I have not yet quickened and you are already planning to abandon our child." She raises her eyebrows mockingly. "Are you certain that you want to become a father?"

"I don't intend to abandon them. If needs be we can relocate a stargate and buy some land wherever we choose to send them to build a home for them. But unlike System Lord Yu, you use minor gods to rule all of the worlds in your domain. Putting a human in charge of one would be awkward, since they would not share the gods' knowledge base."
On the other hand, a human can be trusted to be less likely to get ideas about independence or promotion by elimination.

"There are significant roles that are performed by humans."

"True, but… Unless you're planning on bearing more than one child, I think it would be better to establish a new tradition. Being your child would set them apart from their fellows anyway. I think it would be best to let them create a unique role for themselves in your civilisation." I frown. "Unless they turn out to be a wastrel, in which case maybe they could act as a host for one of their siblings."
Heh. Waste not, want not.

"I would want to see the world your proposed to have them educated on and the school you wish to send them to."

"I will do my due diligence and submit a full report."

"I will wait with great curiosity. And our divine children?"
Ah, the meat of the matter. What knowledge to endow them with?

"We are well aware of the usual drives which queens bestow upon their children. But the success of your realm is based on the actions of Underlords who have risen above the need to constantly expand and dominate all those around them. Do you intend to raise an heir, or a new Underlord tied to you by blood?"
Either has its benefits. With loyalty being a great positive for either choice.

"Why would I need an heir?"

"Each of your Underlords in content in their place. The only thing that could disrupt your domain is if they were no longer certain that they could continue to live as they prefer to. That and that alone could turn your domain into a mirror of nearly every other domain in the galaxy, with Underlords constantly at one another's throats. And the only way that could happen is if you were killed in such a way that you could not be resurrected. Raising an heir ensures continuity, and ensures that if the worst comes to pass then your realm will remain whole, your ideas continue and your death will be avenged."
Or worse, captured, as was her canon fate. Which left her people to the same end...

"Planning for my death already? It usually takes longer."

I look her directly in the eyes. "Perhaps I should say something romantic, about wanting to spend eternity with you and that your death is unthinkable. But the truth is that having a plan for your death is a necessity for a competent ruler, and you are certainly that. I would do everything I could to keep you alive, but I am not all-powerful. And I have yet to discover whether or not cloning gods is practical or useful."
Battles are won by preparation, after all.

"And what gifts should I pass on from my ancestors?"

"They have all the time in the universe to learn new skills, but few goa'uld rise above the mindset their mothers grant them. I would say that the most important thing to share with them is sagacity, and an instinctive understanding of why it is necessary. Ambition on its own goa'uld have a surfeit of, but dedication to an ideal may serve to motivate them just as well while avoiding the pitfalls of vainglorious pride and foolhardy arrogance."
Though what ideal? It would have to be one that would not bring them into conflict with Bastet, nor one likely to leave them to be trodden on by other Lords.

"You would have me neglect the greatest advantage our kind has over mortals?"

"I would de-emphasise it. I don't know how the process works, how much… Ancestral attitude is bound up in the technical data."

"It would be a challenge, but I understand your reasoning and I believe that it is worth the attempt. Now, what plans have you made to continue our courtship?"
In other words, what's their next date going to be like? 😘

Well, he hasn't quite got her eating out of the palm of his hand - that would be utterly disrespectful. But she definitely seems happy to go along with his little experiment. If nothing else, a generation of especially talented Goa'uld would put quite the cat amongst the worms. Let's just hope curiosity doesn't kill the cat...
 
For the internet and email, it actually popped up rather early in the series as a research thing, it also comes into play with the entire thing of finding Goa'uld artifacts on Earth, though I can't remember if that specifically came about before or after Osirus
I'd need to go through the show, but I can confirm for certain in season 3 they were using the internet to search for Seth. Literally had web pages loading.

Daniel also says "On a whim I did a search on the US government classified net in case the CIA had a record of him".

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Edit: S02E07 Explicitly had a quarantine protocol which cut off the air and power to internal supply only. I imagine there are similar protocols for shutting off external communication, but I don't expect that would be the norm.
Attention personnel. Level four quarantine is now in affect. Switching to internal power and life support.
 
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This year, your lot voted in your election on our Treason Day. Today, we return the favor, and vote in our election on your Entirely-Homegrown-Treason Day!


And nobody say a fucking word about what we're voting on because the joke is funny and Rule 8 violations aren't.
 

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