The Rise to Godhood
Chapter 4: Gruesome scenes on Earth.

The True Maker felt concerned as she tried to decipher the feelings she experienced while inhabiting Gaia’s body. Despite having food, beverages and comforts adapted to human preferences, she felt how her sadness worsened. While True Maker could always return to her ethereal form, she wanted to know why she felt depressed while inhabiting Gaia’s body. Gaia was destined to save her and the Milky Way Galaxy from an unknown evil in the coming millennia. However, True Maker couldn’t comprehend how such an unremarkable creature could impact the future.

True Maker studied a group of humans through her omniscience. Humans lived in small communal groups leading a nomadic lifestyle on earth. Perhaps Gaia felt depressed because she was alone, which conflicted with her human needs? But how would she test this hypothesis? It wasn’t suitable for True Maker to involve herself in human development, as it was a breach of her role as a passive force in the galaxy.

True Maker used her premonitory powers to replace a solution. She found a tribe in Africa that would die in a sandstorm in three days. By interacting with this tribe, Gaia would experience human interaction without changing the timeline. Having made up her mind, True Maker teleported Gaia to Lake Turkana in Kenya in 69200 BC.

***

Gaia shivered from the cold as she arrived in Kenya. Despite being close to the equator, the skies were grey, the landscape arid, and the winds freezing. Gaia felt confused. She knew that she was in Kenya, the birthplace of humanity. Yet, how could her species’ home be such a horrible place?

Gaia walked through the depressing landscape where the carrion eaters were having a field day, unaware that the good times wouldn’t last. As much as carrion eaters feasted in times of death, they needed life to sustain themselves.

Gaia kept walking until she found a few malnourished and starving humanoids who were digging the soil for edible roots. Gaia pitied them, but she couldn’t feel any connection to them. They were not of the same human consciousness that she was.

As the natives saw her, they ran towards her, threw themselves at her feet, and pleaded, “Goddess. Please clear the skies and give us food. We are starving.”

“What is happening here?” Gaia transmitted to True Maker.

“I wanted you to see your species. I understand that you have been lonely.” True Maker replied.

“But why are they starving. What is happening?” Gaia asked.

“You are witnessing a volcanic winter due to an eruption at Mount Toba. The eruption will last for six years and cover the planet in ice. Most humans will die, but the few survivors will make your species stronger.” True Maker revealed.

Gaia was about to answer when a shocking event took place in front of her. A shaman slit the throat of an infant and chanted. “We sacrifice to you. Please help us.”

Gaia acted instinctively and pushed the knife-wielding shaman away from the bleeding infant. She put her hand on the baby’s throat, and the wounds healed. The humans threw themselves to the ground and chanted as they witnessed the miracle.

“You must help them. You can’t let them die like this.” Gaia whispered to True Maker.

“I must let it happen. My role is that of a passive observer. Terrible things can happen if I alter the intended timeline.” True Maker replied.

“Then I will help them myself.” Gaia dissented.

“No, you won’t.” True Maker replied and teleported Gaia away from Earth.

***

“Why did you show me this? What do you want?” Gaia cried as she was back in the exquisite palace True Maker had created for her in the Divine Dimension.

“I showed you the fate that had befallen humanity in every iteration of the Milky Way Galaxy. Countless times, your branch of humanity has gone extinct because of the ice age caused by the Mount Toba eruption. Starving and desperate, they slit the throats of their newborns in last-ditch attempts to plead to higher powers for redemption. It’s the cruelty of human nature.” True Maker stated.

“Why did you not save us from this cruel fate?” Gaia sobbed.

“Us? You are not like them. You are very different.” True Maker replied.

“What do you mean?” Gaia continued to cry.

“I saw you in a vision that awoke me from my deep slumber. I don’t know how, but you will save me and this timeline from obliteration. As I recreated you, I realised something unique. Something that has never happened in any timelines that I have foreseen.” True Maker revealed.

“What did you realise?” Gaia asked.

“I realised that you are the first human with a Zetan genome. I haven’t seen this in a trillion years. This is so exciting. I must know how this came to pass.” True Maker replied.

“So, humanity’s suffering means nothing to you?” Gaia exclaimed.

“I am sorry, dear child. I am omniscient, but not omnipotent. My role is that of an observer, seeing and making tweaks between each version of the universe. When the scope and time are endless, one cannot obsess about saving single species on single planets.” True Maker replied.

“I see. What can I do to help my species?” Gaia asked.

“I do not yet know your part in this current timeline. Only time will tell. I will leave you for a while. I need to deal with an urgent matter in the Andromeda Galaxy. However, if you need me, I’ll be here.” True Maker whispered, and her ethereal spirit teleported away from Gaia.

Gaia picked up a vine of grapes and got seated in a hot bath while munching on a delicious grape. Despite having a beautiful house, delicious food, and all the comforts in the Divine Dimension, she felt unhappy knowing that her fellow humans were suffering on Earth. However, she could do nothing about it, so she had to trust in True Maker’s visions that everything would turn out for the best. Unconvinced by her decision, Gaia leaned back into the bath, closed her eyes, tried to forget the horrific events she had witnessed on Earth just moments earlier, and dozed to sleep like an innocent child.