Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away…

There developed a civilization. It came about by the usual (although extremely unlikely) process. Simple cells to animals. Animals to people. The early people (like primitive folks everywhere), were deeply aware of the spiritual currents that flow beneath physical reality. This understanding allowed some to become magicians of great power who could bend reality itself through the subtleties of their minds.

Vast ages passed and the people gradually developed technology. It started with a hide-scraper but eventually it led up to lasers and nukes. Due to this blossoming of science and it’s mastery over the physical world, the people’s relationship with the spirit world atrophied. The magicians became technicians and the magic was lost.

Then something happened to destroy their civilization. Some of the people survived the catastrophe but were thrown back into the stone-age. After a few generations, all ability to reacquire their technology was lost. A new cycle began.

This is the usual way of civilizations. Magic; Science; Magic again. Perfectly normal.

But this time something very unusual happened. Somehow, in some way, the high technology survived in an unknown form that was rediscovered after they had re-evolved their psychic abilities. In this completely unprecedented manner, the wizards became space-farers.

Not only did they get off of their home-world (which almost never happens before the collapse of a civilization), but they retained the abilities of their shamans. They became gods.

And they knew how to create other gods. It was fairly simple. Locate a developed civilization. One who’s science was almost to the point of physical mastery. Gather their knowledge and samples of their technology. Put it all someplace where it will stay safe and intact for a few eons. (Perhaps inside a hollow moon orbiting their planet.) And then you just obliterate them.

Not all of them, of course. You leave behind a viable breeding population that you have genetically tweaked here and there. Then you just wait for a very long time. When they learn and evolve to again be spiritual masters, you give them back their science and teach them how to use it.

And thusly do gods beget gods.