"Genetic engineering has never been about saving the world, it's about controlling the world." - Vandana Shiva
------------
Once Alex woke up, he realized his marriage was only based on lust. He still needed to take a good look around Coco and get to know her.
The entire ship was not too large, approximately 1000 square feet. He walked from room to room and admired how futuristic everything appeared. Then he did some double-checking with Coco to make sure there were no backdoors the Rodwells could use to steal back control.
It turned out that Coco was a prototype in the middle of testing that day, so the engineers had turned off various security measures for convenience. Clyde obviously never expected to die or that an intruder could get so deep within the maze-like underground tunnels, let alone have a high-level key card to unlock Coco.
'It seems the Rodwells have an elemental affinity for arrogance. Maybe that's why they lost that European war,' Alex thought. In any case, he was appreciative of their kind gifts. He hadn't slept very long so he still had several hours before arrival.
'First things first, let's digest the loot.' Alex went back to sit in his private quarters and took out the card containing the Gene Enhancement Fluid. "Scott, do I just drink this? Is it even safe?"
'Yes, Lord. This is a product that has been in use by the Rodwell family for some time and should be stable. There is no chance of serious side-effects,' Scott answered.
Alex looked at the card. "Then why is there a picture of a monster on the front?" There were only tentacles and teeth.
...
'There is a very minor chance of serious side-effects, Sir.' Scott was not a mathematician.
'Sir, with the apocalypse approaching, we must urgently upgrade your strength. The dangers you will face in the future will be numerous and daunting. I assure you the risk of this fluid is very low relative to the dangers you will face in the future if you do not take it.'
Sigh...This is the part where Alex would usually curse Scott, but he had to admit that everything Scott told him so far had been true, no matter how unbelievable. He even introduced him to his robo-wife. More importantly, Alex had felt his weakness when fighting Galvarino and Clyde, nearly dying a dozen times. He didn't feel he could always be so lucky.
Alex unsealed the card and prepared to become a heavenly sage. "Bottom's up." He drank the fluid and it tasted about as good as it looked. Not long after, he felt needles throughout his body which quickly turned into a throbbing pain that went even deeper than the bones, as if he could feel it in his cells. He clenched his teeth. He couldn't show weakness in front of his new wife, or she might cuckold him with Megatron.
Soon, he passed out.
...
When Alex came to, he was in his bed covered in sweat. "...At least this time, I'm not in a poop cocoon." He moved his body and realized it felt much lighter. Cracking his joints one by one, he felt the increased power hidden in his muscles. He wondered how strong he was now.
He remembered his cultivation level was -1 before. According to Scott, a newborn on Earth would be born at level 0, but in today's environment, most people degenerated into the negatives. So when comparing raw cultivation level, babies were the kings of the Earth.
"With my power now, I'm pretty sure I could take out 30 or 40 babies without breaking a sweat." Alex felt powerful.
"Scott, what's my cultivation level now?"
...
"Scott?"
Scott was hiding. He hoped if he hid long enough, his Lord would ask Hades or someone else, and spare him from being punished as the messenger of bad news.
"Scott, get your ass out here or I'm going to gather the other Generals, have them take naked photos of you, and post them on billboards all over Cardopolis."
'...Was there something the matter, Sir?' Scott was old-fashioned. He cared about his purity.
"What's my cultivation level?"
'Level? Cultivation?' Scott became senile.
"Hades, what poses do you recommend to best capture Scott's wild side?"
Hades immediately stopped what he was doing and took out a picture scrapbook that he hastily opened. 'Sir, I strongly recomm-'
'Level 1!' Scott was out of moves.
"Level 1...Level 1? So I just risked becoming a spaghetti monster to be slightly stronger than a baby?!? Hades! What's the name of that pose?!?"
Scott put his brain into warp drive to think of a solution...'Eureka!' he shouted internally.
'Sir, what you just said is inaccurate. You vastly underestimate your power. In reality, you could now defeat a hundred! No! A thousand babies!' Scott declared.
...
Alex contemplated this. He originally estimated his body's battle power at 70 or maybe 80 babies before exhaustion hit. If more attacked him after that, he could only escape. After all, numerous ants could kill an elephant. He had to admit that Scott's estimation excited him. "Very good, you've done well then. Hades, your assistance won't be necessary."
Hades' face dropped when he heard this. He looked back at the lighting and camera equipment he had rented. It was already paid in full as part of the studio's platinum package. He clenched his fists, cursing the fickleness of the entertainment industry.
Besides for the Gene Enhancement Fluid, Alex's gains were Lehi's Divine Compass and the laser rifle. He asked Coco and she said the laser rifle had no issues and had simply gone on cooldown earlier. Its energy could be recharged on board, so Alex put it in the equipment storage room.
"Husband, we've arrived in Brooklyn."
Home, sweet home. Now Alex just had to figure out where he could get parking for this thing.