COLAs (The Shapeshifter)
Encyclopedia
COLAs appear in The Shapeshifter
series of books by Ali Sparkes. "COLA" stands for "Children Of Limitless Ability," a name given in recognition of the children's amazing supernatural powers. There are originally 111 COLAs, including Dax Jones, but in Running the Risk, Catherine Reader drains most of their powers, an attack from which only 11 recover. Following Catherine's death near the end of book five, some of the disempowered children begin to show signs of recovery.
The birth of each COLA was heralded by bizarre weather
phenomena, ranging anywhere from heatwaves to localized blizzard
s in summer. For reasons outlined below, none of the COLAs' mothers survived beyond the child's fourth birthday.
s:
For thousands of years, an alliance has existed between 11 alien planets collectively referred to as "The Quorat". The inhabitants of each planet possess various supernatural abilities. About fifteen years prior to the events of Stirring the Storm, the Quorat felt it was time to integrate a twelfth planet into their alliance, and after surveying many potential worlds, they eventually chose Earth
. However, they realized that the human race was still to closed-minded to communicate with them on a proper level, and that if they were to simply arrive on Earth and introduce themselves, they would be greeted with fear and distrust. Therefore, they decided to send ambassador
s to Earth, in order to gradually introduce humanity to some of the powers that they possessed, and broaden the minds of their soon-to-be-allies. To this end, several female inhabitants of each Quorat planet were sent to Earth and settled in Britain
(chosen for its isolation as an island
and because its people were viewed as being among the most tolerant the world had to offer). These women were referred to as "Seeders", and were sent to Earth via an interplanetary 'corridor', activated by a key called a 'cleftonique'. Their arrival resulted in what was referred to as a 'cleftonique aftershock', which disrupted the atmospheric patterns in the vicinity, causing strange weather phenomena. The goal of each Seeder was to find an intelligent human male to marry and mate with, the result of each such union being a COLA child. The birth of these children caused another cleftonique aftershock. However, living on another planet puts one into contact with all sorts of unfamiliar virus
es, and prolonged exposure ultimately proves fatal. Females had been chosen because they would be more resistant to such problems, but the physical changes brought about by pregnancy
weakened their immune systems
. Therefore, all of the Seeder women fell ill and died from various natural illnesses within four years of giving birth. The human father's immunity would be passed on to the child.
Dax's Aunt Hessa states that humanity has always possessed certain minor psychic, dowsing
, glamour
and healing abilities, but that the powers the COLAs inherited from their mothers are expected to grow far beyond anything the Earth has ever seen before. She also claims that the ultimate purpose of the COLAs is to spread across the world and sire or bear gifted children of their own.
The Shapeshifter
-- START The Shapeshifter is a series of books by Ali Sparkes. The series is set in England, in the Devonshire/Cornwall area, and follows the life of a boy named Dax Jones. The first of the books, Finding the Fox details his early life with his hated step-mum, Gina, and sister Alice. He is very...
series of books by Ali Sparkes. "COLA" stands for "Children Of Limitless Ability," a name given in recognition of the children's amazing supernatural powers. There are originally 111 COLAs, including Dax Jones, but in Running the Risk, Catherine Reader drains most of their powers, an attack from which only 11 recover. Following Catherine's death near the end of book five, some of the disempowered children begin to show signs of recovery.
The birth of each COLA was heralded by bizarre weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
phenomena, ranging anywhere from heatwaves to localized blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
s in summer. For reasons outlined below, none of the COLAs' mothers survived beyond the child's fourth birthday.
Origins
In Stirring the Storm, Dax uses an alien artifact to travel to another planet, where he learns from his aunt, Hessa, that each COLA child is the result of crossbreeding between aliens and humanHuman
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s:
For thousands of years, an alliance has existed between 11 alien planets collectively referred to as "The Quorat". The inhabitants of each planet possess various supernatural abilities. About fifteen years prior to the events of Stirring the Storm, the Quorat felt it was time to integrate a twelfth planet into their alliance, and after surveying many potential worlds, they eventually chose Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. However, they realized that the human race was still to closed-minded to communicate with them on a proper level, and that if they were to simply arrive on Earth and introduce themselves, they would be greeted with fear and distrust. Therefore, they decided to send ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
s to Earth, in order to gradually introduce humanity to some of the powers that they possessed, and broaden the minds of their soon-to-be-allies. To this end, several female inhabitants of each Quorat planet were sent to Earth and settled in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
(chosen for its isolation as an island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
and because its people were viewed as being among the most tolerant the world had to offer). These women were referred to as "Seeders", and were sent to Earth via an interplanetary 'corridor', activated by a key called a 'cleftonique'. Their arrival resulted in what was referred to as a 'cleftonique aftershock', which disrupted the atmospheric patterns in the vicinity, causing strange weather phenomena. The goal of each Seeder was to find an intelligent human male to marry and mate with, the result of each such union being a COLA child. The birth of these children caused another cleftonique aftershock. However, living on another planet puts one into contact with all sorts of unfamiliar virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es, and prolonged exposure ultimately proves fatal. Females had been chosen because they would be more resistant to such problems, but the physical changes brought about by pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
weakened their immune systems
Immunity (medical)
Immunity is a biological term that describes a state of having sufficient biological defenses to avoid infection, disease, or other unwanted biological invasion. Immunity involves both specific and non-specific components. The non-specific components act either as barriers or as eliminators of wide...
. Therefore, all of the Seeder women fell ill and died from various natural illnesses within four years of giving birth. The human father's immunity would be passed on to the child.
Dax's Aunt Hessa states that humanity has always possessed certain minor psychic, dowsing
Dowsing
Dowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
, glamour
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
and healing abilities, but that the powers the COLAs inherited from their mothers are expected to grow far beyond anything the Earth has ever seen before. She also claims that the ultimate purpose of the COLAs is to spread across the world and sire or bear gifted children of their own.
Powers
Several examples of Cola powers include:- DowsingDowsingDowsing is a type of divination employed in attempts to locate ground water, buried metals or ores, gemstones, oil, gravesites, and many other objects and materials, as well as so-called currents of earth radiation , without the use of scientific apparatus...
- ClairvoyanceClairvoyanceThe term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
- Clairaudience
- Clairsentience
- MediumshipMediumshipMediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
- GlamourShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
(manifesting as either the ability to vanish from sight or the ability to create illusions) - Snake-charming
- LevitationLevitationLevitation is the process by which an object is suspended by a physical force against gravity, in a stable position without solid physical contact...
- AlchemyAlchemyAlchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
- TelepathyTelepathyTelepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
- Empathy
- Telekinesis
- PyrokinesisPyrokinesisPyrokinesis, derived from the Greek words and , was the name coined by horror novelist Stephen King for the ability to create or to control fire with the mind that he gave to the protagonist Charlie McGee in Firestarter...
(in the case of Mia only) - Rune-reading (mentioned only)
- Palm-reading (mentioned only)
- Soothsaying (mentioned only)
- Astral projectionAstral projectionAstral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
(mentioned only) - Mimicry
- Healing
- ShapeshiftingShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
(in the case of Dax Jones and wolf only) - The ability to temporarily steal the powers of other Colas (in the case of Catherine Reader only)