An old man stands before high school-aged students giving a lecture in a classroom filled with computers, screens, and various pieces of technology. The manner of dress is the same for all students. Light blue shirts and pants, white shoes, and a symbol over the left breast, "Military Science Academy."
The students watch their teacher walk around the room. The man is more machine than human, a veteran of many battles. His eyes are a strange gem-like color.
"Adaptive humans are a group within the human race that were create accidently. They were meant to be a form of human abilities that could be chosen, removed, changed, or upgraded. The plan was to make human beings able to survive in any environment.
For example, say you had a harsh environments a dangerous task, you could select an appropriate ability. If you were operating in freezing weather, an ability could be chosen to ensure survival. In freezing conditions, a human's body could be attuned to the cold, growing thick coats of hair, or going the opposite direction and becoming a walking heater.
Early experimentation was promising. But something went wrong, or right, depending on your perspective, I suppose. An overly ambitious scientist thought, why choose and trade abilities? Why not have all abilities, or why not write the gene sequencing to automatically choose the best traits and abilities based on the situation?
He took what was developing as a stable product and created something so overly complex that it overwhelmed him and all the safeguards in place. The adaptive synthetic genes he created unexpectedly mutated and spread among the human population.
The genes didn't work on everyone. Why some humans have the adaptive genes, and others do not, is still unclear.
The synthetic genes are unpredictable in how they adapt to a human. Some have one power, they are called 'Base'. Others have between 2 and six abilities; these are called 'Prime' Adaptives. Others with seven to fifteen abilities are called 'High' Adaptives. Finally, a select few potentially have no limit; having sixteen or more abilities, they are called the 'Unbound'. Those are the most dangerous and the most useful Adaptives.
Such beings are used for exploring hostile environments create footholds in already occupied worlds. The adaptives have made humanity one of the most competitive species in the galaxy.
Adaptives who win wars, conquer worlds, and bring wealth to the human race are honoured and respected. The rest? They are the wasted potential of humanity. The more powerful the adaptive, the heavier their responsibility."
A student looked out the window, watching who knew what.
"Mr. Hughes, do you have an opinion on the matter?" The teacher asked.
"What opinion could I have other than the official one?" Kalan Hughes responded.
"Indeed. As an Unbound, how many abilities have you manifested?"
Not looking at the teacher, Kalan kept his eyes fixed outside, "I have twenty-seven abilities."
The class was stunned; they never knew that one of them was an Unbound and had an incredible twenty-seven abilities.
"For those of you who do not know, the Unbound have different means of acquiring their multiple powers. Some copy, others steal, and some are born with several abiities and they continue to increase over time. But Mr. Hughes, you have a unique method for acquiring powers. Would you mind sharing it with the class?"
"I get a new power every time I die," Kalan continued to look out the window.
"Would you mind sharing the powers you currently possess?"
"Accelerated healing, senses amplification, magnetism, telekinesis, telepathy, matter energy conversion through consumption, technopathy, dimensional pockets, adhesive abilities, shapeshifting, enhanced intelligence, underwater respiration, cloning, adaptive camouflage, vacuum survival, microscopic vision, metallic skin, enhanced stamina, weapon mastery, threat detection, power bestowal, somatic mimicry, enhanced aim, claw generation, thermal tracking, intuitive aptitude"
"You see, students, Kalan's abilities make him ideal for creating a foothold in a new territory, and this Saturday, he is being sent to a new world. There, he will use his amazing abilities to conquer a new world for us. The best part is that if something unexpected happens and he dies, it will only make him stronger.
Show your gratitude to your classmate who will help bring prosperity to the Human Empire!"
The students clapped and cheered for Kalan, who finally turned toward them, smiled, and thanked them.
As Kalan was leaving his last class, ever, the teacher held him back, "Mr. Hughes, I hope I didn't upset you today. I wanted your peers to understand who you are and the sacrifice you are making for us."
Kalan barely made eye contact. "Thank you, sir. I anticipate success with the support of the landing team. I should get home; I still have preparations to make. I leave in two days."
"Of course, success!" The teacher patted him on his shoulder as he left.
Kalan returned home to an empty house. He looked at photos of his parents and sighed. He took out food from the fridge and the pantry and made some chicken wings.
"I'm going to miss you most of all," he said as he watched the searing oil engulf the wings, cooking them to a golden brown colour.
After eating, he watched television for a little while. In an unseen corner of the room, a microscopic camera watched everything Kalan did. At the other end of the screen stood the teacher with the gem-like eyes next to another, younger man.
This wasn't a two-man operation; there were others in the background, and a pretty blond woman walked behind the two carrying a report.
"I'm telling you, Bill, there's something off about this kid; he's twitchy," the teacher said to the dark-haired man next to him.
"That kid's always been kinda twitchy. It's from the lab people killing him so many times to get him to manifest more powers. I'd be twitchy too, if someone did that to me. Don't worry, there's only a couple of days, and none of his powers are capable of ruining the launch. Come on, Trig, I think the launch is making you twitchy, paranoid at least."
"I don't know, I've been his science teacher for three years. The kid consumes knowledge like a Hippo eating melons. There's no end to what he knows, I bet."
"He has enhanced intelligence; those guys are always like that. Look, you marked him, right?"
"Yeah."
"That means you can see everything he's doing for the next few days, even if he dodges electronic surveillance, he can't dodge you."
"I guess so." Trig didn't look convinced at all.
"I heard Mara Tonito is coming to the going-away party tonight," Bill watched as Trig's eyes shifted.
"She's really coming?"
"Yeah, and I hear it's to see you," Bill smiled.
"Alright, I'll try to be less paranoid tonight, happy?"
"I'm always happy, you're the one who always gets wound up over the small stuff."
"The small stuff is why I'm a Colonel, and you're still a Sergeant Major," Trig looked at Bill, who didn't seem bothered.
"The reason you're a Colonel, and I'm not, is because I refuse to go on these stupid expansion details, unlike you."
"These aren't stupid. We need to have more resources," Trig argued.
"So that we can go to other worlds and expand, I know. At some point, maybe we should stop expanding and enjoy what we have, don't you think?" Trig didn't respond to his friend.
"I need to get ready for tonight," Bill laughed as he saw his friend leave quickly.
The two days came and went, and Kalan was already suited up in his portal suit. He sat on a metal table in his white suit and watched the technicians and doctors check his vitals and other data. He quietly watched them for a while, but then looked around the room, watching everyone. Then he turned his attention to the portal device on the otherside of the launch room. In front of the portal was a spherical pod that he and his team would ride in to the new world.
"Nervous?" A man asked, Kalan recognised his voice and didn't bother turning to look at him. "Mr Pescher, I didn't expect to see you here."
Trig Pescher, Kalan's science teacher, watched him with his gem-like eyes. "I'm not here to see you off, I'm coming with you!"
Kalan turned and looked at his teacher, who was also dressed in a white portal suit. While Kalan's suit was unmarked, Mr Pescher's suit had a colonel's rank on it.
Turning his eyes, he began to squirm in that way that made Pescher's hairs stand; he found it unsettling. Bill claimed the kid was like that, but it bothered him for some reason.
"I didn't know you were still active. You must be the expedition's leader if you're a colonel."
"You are my brightest student. You are correct, I'm the team lead. They higher ups felt you might feel more comfortable with someone you know," Mr Pescher put his hand on Kalan's shoulder.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but I don't like to be touched, and you do that to me a lot, knowing that," Kalan shrugged Mr Pescher's hand off his shoulder.
Mr Pescher scrutinised the boy, "It never seemed to bother you before. I thought we had a good relationship."
"You've been my teacher for three years, that's our relationship. I only see your three hours a day, and that's it. For three hours a day, you are my teacher, and for three hours a day, I have to cooperate with you. Now, it looks like we'll be spending a lot more time together, so I hope you can respect my boundaries." Kalan looked at Mr Pescher, a little aggression showing in his eyes.
"You aren't usually like this. What's going on?" Mr Pescher asked.
"Nothing, I'm sorry, a little nervous, I guess. It's my first time going through a portal."
"Don't worry, I'll be..." Pescher was about to place his hand on Kalan's shoulder again, but remembered his previous request.
"Sorry, Mr Hughes, I'll try to respect your boundaries. In return, I hope you will do your job so that we can all come home safe."
"So that you can come home safe, I'll probably never see Earth again."
"Colonel Pescher, the team is ready. If you and Mr Hughes could come to the gate and get everyone strapped in."
Pescher's eyes lingered on Kalan's back, who was still looking away, "Of course, let's go, Mr Hughes."
Pescher walked with Kalan, who looked at the ground and occasionally around the room.
"Twitchy," he muttered quietly.
"Twitchy?" Kalan looked at the colonel before his eyes darted away.
"Yeah, you're acting twitchy. Is something going on with you?" The Colonel's facade of a concerned teacher was replaced by a responsible military leader.
Kalan looked at his teacher, "Yeah, I'm nervous, and you're constantly staring at me with those weird eyes and touching me all the time. Whoever thought sending you would make me feel better about being forced away from my home and my family is an idiot.
I thought you guys had psychological tests that could reveal things like secret disgust and dislike towards others. You've been pretending to be my friendly science teacher for three years, but I know you were sent to spy on me. Every time you touch me, you're using your power, aren't you? If I'm twitchy, it's because I'm around you. Now, are we going to do this or not? Do you want to keep asking me questions, or do you want to send me to a new world to butcher the inhabitants for the great Human Empire? Make up your mind already!"
Colonel Pescher was stunned; he finally regained control. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you felt that way. Neither of us has a choice in any of this. I'm going because I was ordered, it's the same reason I became your teacher. Even though I was ordered, I always tried to do my best as a teacher. However, things are different now; we're going on a mission. I'm in charge, and you will follow my order,s or I will put you down, do you understand me!"
Kalan flinched and looked away from his former teacher, "Ye...Yes, sir," he squeaked out.
"Good, then get in that pod, get strapped in, and shut up!"
The rest of the preparations were done in silence. Kalan sat in his chair with his hands folded between his legs, looking down.
There were a total of ten people: Kalan, Pescher, and eight more.
The portal lit up, and after a system check, the portal pod rolled forward, and just before they entered the shimmering light, Pescher heard Kalan speak, "It's too late for you now." It was only loud enough for Pescher and a couple of others to hear it. Pescher looked at Kalan, who smiled aggressively, and then they disappeared through the portal.