Gateways coe the almight.., p.1
Gateways: COE THE ALMIGHTY, page 1
CHAPTER 1
SUCCESS
Coe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It had taken him three years to complete his masterpiece but it was finally done. Coe was sure his creation was priceless, he could name his price with such an invention. No, he couldn't. Stronger people would just take it away from him if they knew what he could do with it. Coe couldn't fight, even if he could he doubted it would do him any good unless he was fighting one of the unevolved. Coe thought about the size some of the Unevolved had on him and thought he would be better off avoiding a fight entirely. Although Coe was one of the Evolved, he could never compare with most men. Coe spent his time in his books instead of anything physical.
Coe was from the planet Terra, year 4753. Science had figured out long ago through a lucky mutation combined with experimentation that humans could gain what was thought of as super powers back in the year 3000. By splicing animal genes with humans ones, science was able to give humans abilities animals had. Poison skin, better speed, self generated electricity and even the power of flight in a few cases. As the science got better, the powers got better. The people experimented on were able to reproduce and had children who sometimes had a combination of the abilities their parents had. These people were called the Evolved. For a thousand years science was able to give better versions of abilities until biology took over. Abilities that were thought to be fiction, like teleportation, super speed, intangibility and telekinesis started showing up. Many parents wanted their children to have abilities. They were willing to go to great lengths to give their children abilities. Giving abilities was not without its pitfalls.
The people born with abilities always were superior to those who needed science to help them. Giving abilities sometimes mutated the unborn child so much that they either couldn't survive childbirth or died soon after. Those who were given abilities had far lesser versions compared to those who were born with them and some powers were closed off to them. Telekinesis, telepathy and other fantastic abilities not found in nature prior to the year 3000 was off limits. When Coe was conceived his parents thought he was one of the Unevolved. They were just scared that Coe would die or be deformed if they went the operation route while he was still in the womb. Coe had figured out that wasn't the case, he wasn't one of the Unevolved. It was just that his ability was difficult to put into words and harder to prove. Coe had searched and had never come across his particular ability. Coe wasn't sure if it was intuition, aptitude or a combination of both that was greatly boosted.
Coe could see things and get a feel of how they worked or how it could be improved upon. His ability wasn't just limited to software or hardware, Coe had the ability to see how powers worked. Coe’s machine that he had just built had the ability to duplicate powers and give them to someone else. There were some restrictions, like Coe could never grow as big as some of the Evolved he had seen or grow extra limbs. Some powers like flight gave secondary powers, like the toughness to survive in high altitude with cold weather. Some strongmen grew very dense bones and tougher skin to handle the extra power. Still there were some things Coe could give himself, Coe had to put thought into it. Now his machine was complete, he knew his next move.
There were a few Evolved who had discovered their ability allowed them to open doorways into other worlds. No one knew how it worked exactly, the popular theory was that their ability let them cross vast amounts of space. Coe thought it wasn't distance but a doorway into another dimension. That was something he could get behind after he figured out how to get by the biggest hurdle, actually staying in some of those worlds.
Coe had heard fantastic tales about what people did once they went through the gateway, the issue was that not everyone could stay there. Some worlds were inhabited by humans but were inhospitable to Terrians, the people from Coe’s planet. Depending on the environment, they could last anywhere from minutes to days before they had to leave. None of these places had anywhere near the technology Terra did, Coe had read stories about the locals seeing something as simple as a holographic hard light interface and thinking it was the work of witchcraft. Coe wanted to live in one of these places, his reason was a bit different from the rest of the Terrians who had the pleasure of going.
Some came through and were instantly praised as Deities. They gave themselves fancy names and did whatever they wanted to the local populace. They were almighty and at first there wasn't anyone around who could stop them. What finally stopped them was simple biology. Once their ride to another world died, they had no way to get there or back. If left on the planet, they died due to the atmosphere of the world they were in. This stopped total domination, that did not mean that the Terrians did not make their mark. Many had children while in other worlds who were born with much lesser versions of their gifts. They were called Demigods and promptly tried to take over most worlds they were on. The Demigods eventually had their own children and those children were able to have a semblance of power through an involved process. Coe just wanted to go there to live.
In Terra he was no one special, something he heard more than once. His parents thought so, his brother thought so and most of the people around him thought so. Coe was only seen as being exceptionally smart, he had always aced his classes from a young age until Coe realized that he was too smart. Sure there were other smart people around but Coe could study something and instantly know how it worked. Coe had purposely lowered his performance since then, he was always the head of his class, just not unbelievably perfect. Coe didn't have some big plan to set himself up as a God or Deity, Coe thought he could be mildly important and live his life that way. Coe didn't want to stick out too much, he never understood why the others did.
“You are such a waste,” Arian said as he walked down into Coe’s room which was basically a workshop. Coe slept on the floor to maximize his workspace so he could create. Every so often he had to deal with his older brother Arian. Arian was the darling of his parents, he was Evolved and one of the stronger ones. Arian was two years older, 2.2 meters tall and blessed with insane strength. Nature had given him secondary abilities because of his strength, his height was a direct consequence of his ability of needing a proper vessel to store that much muscle. His skin and bones were dense, doctors had said they were six times as dense as an Unevolved human and Arian could take a decent slash from the average knife wielding Unevolved and it would literally be a scratch. His muscles also made him fast, not on the level of some of the super speedsters around but far faster than an Unevolved and he was quicker than anyone of his size ought to be. Coe had studied his brother intensely and thought he could give himself a small version of Arian’s ability without harming himself.
“What do you want?” Coe said.
“When are you moving out?” Arian snapped.
“I pay my share,” Coe said. “I don't need muscle to be smart enough for someone to hire me.”
“Dad wants to turn this room into a gym or office or something,” Arian said.
“Then why don't you move out?” Coe said, irritated.
“You better watch your tone,” Arian said. “I smack around real criminals, beating up my worthless little brother wouldn't even cause me to break a sweat.”
Arian was one of the Guardians, the name given to Evolved who helped the government take down Evolved criminals. The job paid well and Arian was well known by his moniker, the Boulder. Coe thought his brother was just too stupid to come up with another name. His brother was formidable and great at his job. Arian had a girlfriend named Frodia whose ability was highly sought after, she could travel to other worlds and was able to bring a few people with her. His parents had used Frodia for this reason and Coe thought it was the only reason Arian was with her. Frodia’s ability had almost caused a divorce between Coe’s parents. His father Bruce had the ability to fly at a high rate of speed, he wasn't approaching the speed of light but he could go twice as fast as the speed of sound. Like Arian, Coe’s father had secondary abilities that allowed his body to be free from harm when he was pushing it. On Frodia's world, Bruce was praised as Zeus, a play on his real name and he used his status to have sex with many of the young women there. Coe thought he probably would have gotten away with it if he didn't leave evidence of his deeds.
The time in the other world called Gaia moved faster than the time in Terra. A single day in Terra was over two weeks in Gaia. When Coe’s mother and father traveled back to Gaia there were new Demigods that had sprang up. Coe’s mother Herana had noticed the resemblance between Bruce and one of the Demigods. Bruce wasn't the only person doing wrong, Arian also used his abilities to set himself up as a God in Gaia. There he was known as Ares, the so-called God of War. He also had left a string of Demigods in his wake that would have been enough of a reason for him and Frodia to also separate. Arian thought she was just so much in love but Coe had figured out her secret. She had been pregnant at least twice that he knew of. She could conceive, gestate and birth over the course of days of Terra time if she was on Gaia. She could last far longer on Gaia than the people she took with her. Frodia had her share of Demigods and so did most of her family. The only other person Coe knew of that could last longer than a Terrian hour or so on Gaia was Frodia’s brother Herman who Coe thought was an okay guy.
“Are you done with whatever this is?” Coe asked.
“You are bringing us down,” Arian said. “I want you to leave. It doesn't look right for Evolved like us to have a nobody like you around. You are smart and everything but that is not enough. Do you need money to go?”
“I am not bringing anyone down and I am tired of going around with you,” Coe said. “Get out of my room.”
“I want you to put me out of it,” Arian said and folded his arms. “Our parents are just too kind to tell you that you are almost grown. You are seventeen, in a few more months you will be eighteen and out of here. Why don't you go live among the Unevolved and find you a nice girl to start a family with?”
“Who are you supposed to be, my life coach?” Coe asked.
“I don't hate you Coe,” Arian said. “But you have been a disappointment to our parents and closing yourself off in here doesn't help. Mother put you in for Higher Learning since it seems you haven't done so for yourself. You can meet girls who wouldn't mind that you are Unevolved. The girls around here wouldn't dare lower themselves by being with someone like you. The normal girls wouldn't care and would be thrilled they found someone smart. You have months Coe, if you don't leave, then I am putting you out of here for your own good and for ours.”
Coe watched him leave and rolled his eyes. It was now or never Coe figured. Coe already had his brother’s DNA and had tested it on several mice and virtually on his computers. The full blast of Arian’s gift ripped the mice apart from the inside. What Coe ended up doing was separating the density part of Arian’s gift and thought that could work. The mice he tried it on survived and thrived. The only thing Coe had to remember was to slow down the process and give the body the time to adapt. Coe took a deep breath and fetched the vial he would use. Coe stood in his machine and turned it on, it was now or never. Coe injected himself and could feel it coursing through his body. Coe knew he would have to rest a bit to get everything working and decided to go for broke and see if he could gain another ability.
Bruce’s ability was beyond what Coe could hope to accomplish. Bruce flew by biologic propulsion without the aid of wings. The mice couldn't handle that gift in the quantity that Bruce had it in. A much lesser version was possible, these mice could float and fly but the speed wasn't there and any secondary abilities were also absent. Coe thought their speed was the equivalent of ten kilometers per hour. It was less than normal running speed for a seasoned athlete but better than nothing. Coe injected that vial and thought he would forgo his mother’s power. She could influence the minds of the Unevolved and lesser Evolved, Coe thought injecting her power might damage his brain and wouldn't be worth it. Coe would take Frodia’s power though, it would be a lesser version and could only transport him and one other to Gaia but it would be worth it. It would be safe and he would have a place to go to study. In fact, Coe wondered if he would be able to move his entire laboratory there. He could practice in peace, even if he only lasted a few hours by Terra time; that could be months for him to study in Gaia. Coe used Frodia’s DNA and went to take a seat in the corner. Maybe Arian was right and he needed to move.
Coe felt weak but his mind was still as sharp as ever. Coe would need his own space that not just anyone could drop in on. He could hide his machine and set about gaining more abilities. Coe was happy he had already worked out a secondary function for his machine, if anyone asked he could demonstrate it. His machine also had the ability to change the color of the eyes. There were numerous surgeries out there along with injectables that would force your body to perform the act on its own. Coe’s machine did it instantly and could change the color to those not found in nature. There were big signs all over on how to operate it and Coe thought that would stop his brother or anyone else from being nosy.
Coe thought that he should probably come out to his family about his powers if they did work. He would just say he always had them but was embarrassed that they were not as great as anyone else’s. They would possibly buy his story and Coe wouldn't say too much about it. He would most likely demonstrate it while he was moving. It would be enough to make his family think but Coe wouldn't be in any hurry to explain himself. Coe’s main concern was how to move all of his gear. Even if he could teleport, only a strong Evolved could take all of the gear in one take. It was going to be a bear to take apart his machine but maybe that is what he had to do. Coe had to up his money making potential, if Coe was successful on Gaia he already knew what should be done.
Everyone he knew that had ever been to Gaia set themselves up as some sort of God. Coe thought he could go there and make money. Perhaps he could find platinum or gold while he was there. Coe could of course make decent money on stocks on Terra, it was how he was getting by and Coe could already afford a small home. Coe didn't want a small home, he wanted a fortress. Sure it could look like any other place but the reinforcements and everything he would need would cost money. Building something from the ground up would be too costly, only the rich could live in a house instead of a highrise. Maybe he could find a basement that could suit his needs. Coe would need to think on it, in a perfect world he wouldn't need any of that.
In Coe’s perfect world he would be able to go out into Gaia and find his own home. Coe had never been since his family along with Frodia thought having him show up would lower their praise since he couldn't do anything. Coe thought they were just being snobby, from the snippets of conversation he knew that he would be more than just some random person. The people on Terra were physically superior to native Gaians by almost half. That combined with superior technology would make him above what most Gaians could accomplish. His father Bruce took an energy thrower he had Coe modify with him and the Gaians thought he was throwing lightning. Eventually Bruce had the outside of it crafted to resemble a bolt of lightning, they just didn't want to share and that was alright. Coe could figure things out his way. Tomorrow he would buy all the necessary gear for his immediate protection. When he reached Gaia, if he reached Gaia, he would set about understanding why Terrians could not stand these other dimensions for long and set about finding the answer.
CHAPTER 2
A NEW JOURNEY
Coe smiled as he lifted off of the ground, his powers were working the way he thought they should. Coe had to eat a bigger breakfast than he ever had, the family maid Alicia had to make him a breakfast almost similar to what Arian would eat. Coe thought his new denser body demanded it, Coe could feel his body burning through the energy the food gave him and Coe knew from the mice it would slow down once his body achieved parity with his new found powers. Coe was still the same size but could see a little muscle starting to peek through. Everything Coe ordered for his protection for when he visited Gaia had come through. Coe thought he would miss the convenience of this world, ordering something and receiving it an hour later was one of the great niceties in life.
Coe lowered himself and took a breath. He spread his arms and focused, a small gate opened up and he walked through it. Coe was in a stone building, he knew his father called it Olympus and had it built by the locals. It was cold, no it was freezing. Coe was happy he had brought his temperature regulating unit with him. Coe turned it on and the comfort it brought put Coe’s mind into focus. Coe saw two problems that he would need to address, sooner rather than later. Coe wanted to see if he could open his gate anywhere else on Gaia instead of the top of a mountain. Practically anywhere else would be preferable and more convenient. The second problem he saw really wasn't a problem but an observation. Coe thought he could possibly come up with something that could mimic the energy required to jump dimensions. Now that he had seen the process up close, he understood it.
Coe walked out of the room he was in and wanted to laugh, grafted animals were everywhere. Grafting was a crude form of Evolving, it was also called biohacking and consisted of taking parts or pieces of one animal and giving it to another. Coe spotted a horse that had obviously been given wings from the Great Condor and one horn from an antelope to sit in the middle of its head. Grafters were the names the Evolved called people who just took parts from an animal and stuck itp to themselves. It was an easy way to replace a lost limb but some used it to better themselves, like a tattoo. They would give themselves wings, poison or whatever else they could think of. Someone had taken grafted animals and dumped them here, Coe wondered how they were surviving. Maybe the animals were native to here and taken back so someone could work on them, that was most likely since Coe doubted anyone who had been to Gaia had the capability or the know how.
