Children of a Foreign God Read online

  Children of a Foreign God

  Pam Uphoff

  They call them Parallel Worlds. Which they aren’t, quite, as events create splits and worlds with all the possible outcomes drift apart into different futures. Some split a long time ago, some recently. All different.

  The ability to make inter-dimensional gates divides the powerful worlds from the weak. Some can form powered gates, temporary and expensive. On the World called Comet Fall, genetic engineering has enabled the manipulation of natural dimensional phenomena, and the formation of permanent gates. Cheap access to worlds of untapped resources, new frontiers.

  Which has created an infuriating dependence on a single world’s benevolence.

  Twenty-seven children in the Empire of the One, their father a Comet Fall Magician, are beginning to blossom into their powers . . . will they be able to build gates?

  What of their rivals, still dependent on the expensive, temporary gates? What of the polities with no gate making at all?

  A major shift of power is on the horizon.

  Copyright © 2019 Pamela Uphoff

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN

  978-1-939746-07-8

  This is a work of fiction.

  All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional.

  Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

  Cover art:

  Figure: ID 75641308 © Sergey Novikov | Dreamstime.com

  Beach and Sand Castles: Aitoff on Pixabay

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  10 Ramadan 1411 yp

  Paris, One World

  Chapter Two

  An Ordinary Day

  Chapter Three

  The Big Question

  Chapter Four

  Rael and Xen

  Chapter Five

  Public Works

  Chapter Six

  Testing, Testing

  Chapter Seven

  Shields and Headaches

  Chapter Eight

  Offices

  Chapter Nine

  Refusal

  Chapter Ten

  Unsavory Plans

  Chapter Eleven

  Magic Camp

  Chapter Twelve

  The Maze

  Chapter Thirteen

  A Day At The Beach

  Chapter Fourteen

  A Quick Interim Report

  Chapter Fifteen

  The History of Gods and Prophets

  Chapter Sixteen

  Building with Magic

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hotsprings and the Moon

  Chapter Eighteen

  Grandparents and great grandparents

  Chapter Nineteen

  Horses

  Chapter Twenty

  In Enemy Territory

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Back to Reality

  Chapter Twenty-two

  And Changes at Home

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Disco Days

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Second school

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Junior Intel Agent

  Chapter Twenty-six

  The Monsters in the Maze

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Sending a Message

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Great Balls of Fire

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Temptation and Corridors

  Chapter Thirty

  Employment Opportunities

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Bank Vault

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Dinner with the Family

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Girls and Boys

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Third Camp

  Chapter Thirty-five

  In the Assembly

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Gate

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  First day of high school

  Excerpt from an upcoming release

  Other Titles by Pam Uphoff

  Prologue

  Unvu was of the One, but at the moment, had pulled away, to present an argument. "Endi Dewulfe, AKA Xen Wolfson, fathered twenty-seven children. The earliest were born in Safar of 1397, the last in Rajab. It is time we studied these children. The youngest have turned fourteen, and there have been many early assumptions of power."

  "There could be new Warriors." One of the aggressive priests nodded.

  Izmo, need to keep an eye on him.

  An ambitious female priest snorted. "There could be more ways to influence Xen Wolfson, and through him, Wolfgang. Perhaps all of the Comet Fall gods."

  Unvu nodded to her. Ambitious, and vicious. She’ll be useful.

  Diuc smiled hungrily. "Ways to undermine Disco."

  A rival for power, but still a weak woman, prey to her hormones.

  "Ways to take over Disco." Izmo smiled.

  Ytry cleared his throat. "Learn how to make gates. Corridors."

  And the clever man.

  A whispering rush through multiple mouths.

  A woman who had spoken before nodded. "We need to assess the potential."

  "Channel and use that potential." This woman also spoke with a single voice.

  The One always had outliers. Princesses and, more rarely, priests who never integrated fully. They were useful windows on the world, and made better Watchers, living out in the world and reporting back. Leading the dwindling worshipers, teaching, recruiting. The One approved the project and decided to send these, to watch.

  Chapter One

  10 Ramadan 1411 yp

  Paris, One World

  Arno stood straight and still, but his eyes roved.

  About a dozen boys, including me. The girls' group is a bit bigger.

  He didn't want to turn his head far enough to get an exact head count.

  All the children of Xen Wolfson. All together. But why?

  Mother should have told us. Warned us about who—what—our biofather was.

  He and a few others had been escorted here from their homes. The majority of the kids either lived locally or had come in earlier.

  He and his twin sister had been picked up by a priest and a princess. Not, unfortunately, his aunt. They'd had three other kids in tow, a boy and two girls. The school they'd been taken to was on the outskirts of Paris, and the dormitories empty.

  Not unexpected, most kids did go home for Ramadan.

  Which didn't explain why they were being specifically gathered here.

  And why didn't Mother tell us?

  ***

  It had been quite a shock. Mother had been pacing the floor, a single sheet of paper clutched in her hand, when they got home from school. Arno's twin sister was all bouncy and happy, as usual. All the boys in the upper grades were noticing her, and it was going to her head. Pain-in-the-neck twin. No fair that she was two inches taller than him, with red hair just like Aunt Rael. And athletic, and glowing. The Power of the One had come early to her. Leaving her scrawny, brown-haired, clumsy brother in the dirt, as usual.

  Mother had made them sit down.

  Dad? Surely nothing has happened to Dad? He's not even the Chief of Police anymore. He's just got a contract job, he'll be back this weekend. Please . . .

  "You've had history, and current affairs, and so forth. You know about the three way balance of power, between the Empire, the Earth, and Comet Fall. You've heard about Endi Dewulfe . . ."

  What? Arno shook himself. Heaved out a deep breath. Whatever is wrong, nothing horrible has happened. So this isn't that big of a deal.

  Ryol had interrupted. "His real name is Xen Wolfson, Mother." Little show off.

 
"Yes, and he stopped a war by, well . . . "

  "Showing up the High Oners in the War Party by getting their wives pregnant."

  Mother had sighed. "Yes. He had, oh, I don't know that they have an accurate count of how many babies . . ." She'd crumpled the paper in her hands. Smoothed it out. "Actually, I suppose they do."

  Arno had finally spoken. "What is that, Mother?"

  "A letter. You see . . . " She had red spots on her pale cheeks and her voice was all high. She looked over their heads, not meeting their eyes. "You two are . . . Endi Dewulfe is your biological father. The One has summoned all of you to be tested and observed. For two weeks. In Paris."

  There was a long silence.

  Arno tried, failed, to say something, do something. Anything but sit here feeling . . . very odd.

  "But, but . . . " Even Ryol was having trouble with words.

  "You've always known Ox was your stepfather. That he was my sixth husband. I played the Game . . . Oh . . . I'll tell you later, one shock at a time is enough." She took a couple of gulping breaths. Regained control. "So . . you need to pack. For a week in Paris. It'll be fun."

  It was too strange to even be frightening.

  Until they were in the limo. Headed for Paris.

  With no idea what was going to happen.

  ***

  Arno hunched his shoulders against the wintry chill. He was dressed for it, but corridoring in from mid-summer in South America, he wasn't at all acclimated. No doubt the locals thought this sunny afternoon quite pleasant. Hence the meeting in this courtyard.

  One of the women in the knot of adults-in-charge strode over to stand in front of them.

  "Good afternoon. I am Princess Diuc, assigned by the One to this project. You are here because the One wants to understand the potential of the mixture of the One and the Comet Fall magicians." The Princess glowed brightly enough to hurt his brain. Her voice was pleasant but professional.

  "You will be taking a lot of tests this week. Some will be familiar to you. Others will be new. We will discuss with you, collectively and individually, what we have found.

  "We will design some exercises to strengthen your abilities, both the regular Oner talents and any possible Comet Fall talents.

  "Then we will send you home.

  "When we have analyzed the data, some, possibly all of you, will be offered special training opportunities.

  "Folders with your room assignments and schedules are on the tables to your left." The older Princess's voice shaded into exasperation. "Do read the labels carefully. Because you are all half siblings, your names tend to be similar. If not identical.”

  Arno eyed her. Does she think we’re stupid—or does she regularly deal with girls who are all hormonal idiots like my sister?

  "Your luggage should already be in your assigned room. In half an hour come down to the cafeteria on the ground floor. We'll talk, there will be a brief medical exam. You are all very healthy, but we want a detailed genetic scan. Then you will be free to socialize. Rather than a normal cafeteria dinner, there will be a buffet spread, and music." She waved a graceful arm. "Go."

  Arno relaxed and ambled over to the tables, eyeing the other kids. Half brothers and sisters! Lots of brown hair. Some black. A fair selection of blondes. His sister won the red category, although there were a few auburns and one strawberry. The browns and blondes were all shades too. Complexions tended toward a strong tan. He couldn't see all that many eye colors without getting personal. All-in-all they just looked like a bunch of ordinary kids.

  Folders . . . some were being snatched up, but the way they were laid out . . . Lots of Ys and Os on the boy's table. Heck there were two Yr_o's and three Or_y's. His own A was well represented, it was common enough; mother was a, r, and, o. So really, the N in his name was the only letter his mother had used, from . . . that man.

  I just don't like thinking about my mother as a glamorous high society wife . . . sleeping around. And maybe she didn't. This slots in with that other problem I've been chewing over, doesn't it?

  He put it out of his mind, and reached for his folder. There was another Arno, as well as an Anro. He was the only Montevideo Clan, so it was hardly confusing.

  He flipped through the information, his school records, his medical records, his birth scan . . . He really didn't want to see proof . . . "Yp" caught his eye. He stopped dead and boggled. A priest gene? Surely he wasn't a candidate . . . He eyed the priests organizing the mass of kids. Soft faces, high voices. Eunuchs. His stomach clenched and he tried to control his body language, to stroll casually away. To look back at the room assignment. Some of the priests were aiming the kids at a building. He turned and headed that way.

  Arno glanced back, and noticed that the Princess was looking at them a bit dubiously.

  Yeah, we're a bit young for a music and munchies icebreaker. You must be from the Princess School, and used to dealing with college kids, not fourteen year olds.

  He'd have sworn her glance swung his direction for a second. He stumbled over his big feet and headed for the dormitory. Room 210. The girls were on the first floor up, guys on the second. He followed the general trudge up the stairs, sort of looking at the others, without making eye contact.

  "This is too weird." One boy wasn't reticent. "So suddenly I have eleven brothers and fifteen sisters? Somebody wake me up from this horrible nightmare!"

  That got a general round of laughter. The girls all poured out the first floor door and the dozen guys walked on up to the next. Eyeing each other more openly now.

  The boy he'd met at the airport, Yrno, grumbled under his breath. "Still wouldn't mind porking a few of them."

  Arno gave him a fishy look. They were all fourteen. Even the oldest are a couple of months short of fifteen.

  Yrno gazed balefully back. "Baby." He shoved through the door and turned left. They spilled out of the stairs and hunted around for the right rooms.

  Arno turned right, glancing at the numbers on the doors.

  A tall boy looked around. "So we're all born from Safar to Rajab? About a four month spread. Call me Jay, Ypjw being someone's idea of a joke."

  "Arno." He looked up at the taller kid. "You're one of the older kids, aren't you?"

  "Yeah. Finally, a growth spurt. I hope. You one of the young ones?"

  "I think my twin and I are the last ones born. Ryol's that very redheaded one."

  A couple of wolf whistles. Laughter. "Oh crap, they're all our sisters!" More laughter. More names were swapped around.

  Arno's room had Jay on one side and Orny on the other. Orny scowled as he introduced himself.

  Jay nodded. "These names are hideous. How about we just call you Or?"

  Yrno called from down the hall, "Or What?"

  The kid blinked. Grinned "Umm, yeah. Or What. That works."

  Arno snickered. "We can remake ourselves, can't we? If we want to. No stupid classmates to pass on crap that was barely funny in first grade." He sighed. "Well, I've got my twin sister."

  "But an ordinary name." Or pointed out.

  "Yeah. And a darned good thing." He turned into his room, shutting the door. Small room. Bed, desk, closet. The bathroom must be down the hallway. Ugg.

  He sat down at the desk. Stared at the folder. Why paper? Why not electronic copies? He shivered. So there's nothing on our records about this. Our home schools won't know about it. Just the One. And probably the Directorates.

  But no one at school will know about it. Know I'm a . . . what? A Native? That's not right, Comet Fall's got most of the Oner genes. I tested as a Withione, I'm not a Halfer . . . even if I haven't touched the One yet. I will. Soon.

  He flipped the file open, looked again at the genetic results. An alphabet soup of the chromosomes, then the X and Y. Yp. But they didn't come get me, at ten years of age. Maybe they don't want Xen Wolfson's gene carriers influencing the One. He huffed out a sigh of relief. I hope. Then something else caught his eye. Why is there a reference number on my X chromosome? A search
turned up nothing for it to have been referencing.

  I tested as a Withione. There's nothing wrong.

  He slapped the folder closed, and walked out to find out.

  He felt rather like he was walking to his doom.

  Chapter Two

  An Ordinary Day

  Morning sparring.

  Xen cooled down as he walked back toward the Disco building, and his home behind it. All the kids were scampering to get to school before the bell . . .

  That’s a lot of kids . . . Well, Disco’s grown so, of course, the number of dependents has grown. Still too many for a single teacher. We need more space and at least one more teacher. . .

  Schools on Disco aren’t the job of the Dimension Cops. Or shouldn’t be. But we don’t have anything resembling a city government. It’s every embassy for itself. We just do the roads and sell the plots, where they can do anything they wish.

  All right, we run a pipe from the nearest main . . .

  Dammit. Legally I own the whole world. I can give land for building schools. Rope in some friends to build them. Leave it to other people to staff them . . . I hope. Am I going to have to form a school board or something?

  Sheesh. I’d rather go fight Cyborgs. Again. Ouch.

  Xen Wolfson took a deep breath . . . released it, and sniffed. Oh. Dear.

  Chapter Three

  The Big Question

  "Endi Dewulfe, or Xen Wolfson, if you prefer, is the biological father of all of you." The Princess talking was absolutely gorgeous. Brown hair framed a beautiful face, contrasted with big blue eyes.

  "If you looked at the genetic records in your folder, those are the results of the usual childhood registry tests. Four of you boys tested as having the Priest gene, but in actuality you have a power gene very similar to the One gene in the position of the Priest gene. A few of you who live in Paris got more detailed testing, and a small percentage of you tested with an aberration on one of your X chromosomes. Instead of the One gene, you have two power collecting genes on the chromosome you inherited from Mr. Wolfson. One of those genes is very similar to the Priest gene, and in boys, requires hormone suppression to completely manifest. The second power gene is the one that their witches and gods possess. We will speak further about possible methods of utilizing it." Her eyes drifted across the huddle of teenagers, and Arno swore they stopped briefly on him.